Michael Carrick baffled by fascination with Man Utd’s running stats as boss insists he trusts players ‘100 per cent’

Under-fire Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has dismissed concerns over his side's running and pressing statistics, insisting he trusts his players completely despite an ongoing poor run of form. United currently sit 15th in the Premier League and have covered just 487.4 miles across seven games, having been outrun by every opponent this season except ten-man Manchester City.

Carrick defended his tactical philosophy ahead of United's league clash with Bournemouth, noting that pressing is only one part of the game. The manager faces significant pressure following a seven-game winless streak, culminating in a 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como amid reports of squad tension involving Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha.