Michael Carrick dismisses Man Utd pressure after difficult week

United head to Fulham on Sunday looking to respond to a difficult week that saw them suffer consecutive defeats to Manchester City and Brighton.

Carrick's side were beaten 1-0 by City in a controversial derby last weekend despite their opponents being reduced to 10 men after 23 minutes, before surrendering a two-goal lead in Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie against Brighton to lose 3-2 at Old Trafford.

The Brighton defeat, which was United's first at home after leading by two goals since 1976, was followed by boos and angry chants from supporters.

Despite the reaction, Carrick said the prospect of losing his job had not entered his thinking.

"In terms of the future and ownership and how long I've got in the job, that's totally not in my thinking," he said.

"It's ridiculous to think that way in the position I'm in. It's just not on the radar.

"It's two or three games. It's two or three games too many because I really hate losing, but that doesn't mean the world caves in."

Carrick won 12 of his 17 matches after taking charge last season, earning the permanent role at Old Trafford, but United have managed only two victories from six games in all competitions this term.

They have also drawn 2-2 with Everton after twice surrendering the lead and suffered defeat by newly promoted Hull.

Carrick acknowledged the results have not been good enough but believes the reaction surrounding the club has made the situation appear worse.

"It's not a catastrophe or a disaster. It's not the end of the world," he said.

"We've lost a couple of games recently and we feel like we've started and we've been in all the games that we've played.

"We've done a lot of good things in them to put ourselves in really good positions. That gets totally lost in some ways in the surrounding feeling, but it doesn't get lost by us."

The United boss also dismissed suggestions he should show more emotion following defeats, while insisting the criticism will not alter his approach.

"We don't like losing football matches, so it's not that I don't feel the emotion of losing football matches," Carrick said.

"But it doesn't affect how I think about what we need to do next."

Carrick, meanwhile, remains adamant that setbacks are part of the process.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, genuinely," he said.

"Sometimes they are the best times to work your way through, to find out a few things and come out an awful lot stronger."

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