Rio Ferdinand says Michael Carrick is under pressure at Manchester United after their Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has said manager Michael Carrick is under pressure at Old Trafford following the club’s 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.

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Ferdinand made the comments on his YouTube channel after United suffered the loss in Spain on Tuesday, acknowledging that pressure is an expected part of managing one of English football’s biggest clubs.

“Yeah, I think he is under a bit of pressure, but that is normal being a Manchester United manager,” Ferdinand said.

The former England international, however, urged the club to give Carrick an opportunity to demonstrate his ability to turn the situation around.

“Let Michael Carrick show us that he can swim against the tide because last season he did fantastically well,” he added.

“Let him have a go and let him work at it, let him see if he can turn this around.”

Carrick faces the challenge of improving United’s results as the team seeks to climb the Premier League table. According to the report, United are currently 13th after losing two league matches.

Ferdinand’s remarks reflect the scrutiny that comes with managing Manchester United, where results in domestic and European competitions are closely watched by supporters and former players.

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Despite acknowledging the pressure on Carrick, Ferdinand stopped short of calling for his dismissal, instead encouraging the manager to work towards improving the team’s fortunes.