Carrick Stands with the Crowd: Why Manchester United’s Fan Protests and Fulham Test Matter More Than Ever

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick knows Old Trafford well enough to understand that silence has never been part of the club’s DNA. Songs, banners, protests – they are all woven into the fabric of United’s modern identity. So when asked about planned anti-Glazer protests ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Fulham, Carrick’s response was calm, measured and, crucially, empathetic.

“I’m not offended,” he said. And in that simple line, Carrick managed to strike a balance that many before him have struggled to find: backing the fans without inflaming the tension, while keeping the focus firmly on the football.

Manchester United Fans and the Glazer Protests: A Long-Brewing Storm

The protests planned for the Fulham game are not a sudden outburst. They are the latest chapter in a story that has been running for nearly two decades. Since the Glazer family’s takeover in 2005, Manchester United supporters have voiced deep frustration at how the club has been run.

Debt loaded onto the club, hundreds of millions paid out in interest and dividends, and years of questionable football decisions have left scars. Old Trafford, once a symbol of modern excellence, has visibly aged. Training facilities have lagged behind rivals. And on the pitch, United have drifted far from the standards set during the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

For many fans, the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS last year offered hope. A reset. A promise of football people making football decisions. Yet results on and off the pitch have not improved quickly enough to heal old wounds. A miserable 2024-25 season, ending in a 15th-place finish, no European football and defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final, only sharpened the anger.

The 1958 Group, one of United’s most prominent supporter organisations, have been vocal in their criticism. Their message ahead of the Fulham match is blunt: the club has become a “laughing stock”, and Ratcliffe, in their eyes, is now “complicit” rather than corrective.

Michael Carrick’s Calm Authority Amid the Noise

Arsenal v Manchester United – Premier League

Against that backdrop, Michael Carrick’s words carried weight. This is not a distant executive or a passing caretaker. Carrick is a former captain, a Champions League winner, someone who understands what Manchester United means to its supporters.

“I fully respect the supporters,” he said. “I’m not offended by it, and the players certainly aren’t.”

That matters. Carrick did not attempt to downplay the protest or reframe it as unhelpful negativity. Instead, he separated the fans’ long-standing grievances from the current momentum inside the stadium.

“The support we’ve felt inside the ground has been of the highest level,” he added. “The connection we’ve had over the last couple of weeks has been pretty special.”

In other words: protest outside if you must, but inside Old Trafford, the bond between team and crowd remains intact.

A Dream Start for Carrick, but Reality Check Awaits

From a footballing perspective, Carrick could hardly have asked for a better opening chapter. Thrown into the role midway through the season after Ruben Amorim’s dismissal, he faced Manchester City and Arsenal back-to-back. Few expected much.

United beat both.

The wins were not flukes. They were built on organisation, discipline and smart counter-attacking football. Carrick set his side up to absorb pressure and strike decisively, restoring a sense of belief that had been absent for months.

Suddenly, the mood shifted. Players who looked burdened earlier in the season played with freedom. Old Trafford rediscovered its voice. And United found themselves creeping back into the Champions League conversation, helped by the fact they are out of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, allowing full focus on the league.

But Fulham represent a very different test.

Manchester United vs Fulham: A Tactical Pivot Point

If City and Arsenal allowed United to sit deep and counter, Fulham will not. Marco Silva’s side arrive at Old Trafford seventh in the table, confident, organised and with ambitions of their own. A win on Sunday could drag them into the top-four picture.

For Carrick, this is where his early work will be judged more critically. Can United dominate possession? Can they break down a compact defence? Can they control the tempo rather than simply react?

It is one thing to win as underdogs. It is another to impose yourself as favourites.

Carrick acknowledged the challenge implicitly. Fulham will “offer a different problem”, and United must show they can adapt. The early signs under Carrick suggest flexibility, but Sunday will demand patience as much as intensity.

Fan Protests vs Team Momentum: Walking the Tightrope

The fear for many managers in this situation would be distraction. Marches, banners, hostile chants – all can unsettle a squad. Carrick, though, appears unfazed.

“I don’t think it connects with the two wins,” he said. “We’ve fed off the connection with the supporters.”

That line is important. Carrick is betting on the maturity of his players and the intelligence of the fanbase. United supporters, for all their anger at the ownership, have consistently shown they can separate boardroom issues from backing the team on the pitch.

In many ways, this duality defines modern Manchester United. Protest and passion exist side by side. Carrick seems comfortable operating in that space.

What Comes Next for Carrick’s United?

United start the day in sixth, two points off Chelsea, with Liverpool and others setting the pace above them. The margins are tight. One good run could transform the season; one stumble could reignite the gloom.

For Carrick personally, every match now doubles as an audition. He insists it is “not about me”, but results have a way of changing narratives quickly at Old Trafford. Beat Fulham, and talk of stability grows louder. Lose, and the noise returns.

What feels clear already is this: Carrick understands the club he is trying to lead. He understands the fans, their anger, their loyalty and their contradictions. By backing their right to protest while nurturing a renewed connection inside the stadium, he has taken a quietly confident first step.

Sunday’s game against Fulham will not resolve Manchester United’s ownership crisis. It will not silence the Glazers’ critics. But it may tell us a lot about whether Carrick’s early calm can turn into something more lasting – both on the pitch and in the stands.