Man United vs. Liverpool: Why is Michael Carrick a success but Arne Slot under pressure ahead of Premier League clash?

Premier League champions Liverpool will travel to take on bitter rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, as both clubs hope to bolster their pursuit of Champions League football.

Michael Carrick has undoubtedly been a success in the Red Devils dugout since taking the reins from Ruben Amorim in January, and has guided his side to third place in the top flight ahead of this weekend's showdown.

Meanwhile, Arne Slot's Reds currently sit fourth - just three points behind their opponents - but they are widely considered to have struggled throughout 2025-26, and it feels that the trajectory of the clubs contrasts greatly despite their closeness in the Premier League.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at the reasons behind the differing perceptions of Man United and Liverpool's similar campaigns.

Why do Man United fans view Michael Carrick as a success?

Since Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013, Man United have been wildly inconsistent under a broad range of managers, from the likes of David Moyes to high-profile names such as Jose Mourinho.

The most notable era of positivity around the club was the short-lived optimism that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer brought when the former striker platformed the likes of Marcus Rashford, and brought key stars such as Bruno Fernandes to Old Trafford.

However, that emotion quickly faded and was replaced by the feeling that Ole's second-placed finish in the 2020-21 season was more a product of circumstance, rather than the manager himself, who was generally seen as tactically naive compared to his rivals at other top sides.

In more recent years, Erik Ten Hag and Ruben Amorim have been the faces in the Old Trafford dugout, and while each sought to bring fresh ideas to Manchester, neither were able to escape the inconsistency that has plagued the Red Devils for more than a decade.

When Amorim finished 16th in the Premier League during 2024-25, many remained desperate for him to succeed, though they were unable to stomach a poor opening to this term, and he was replaced by Carrick on an interim basis in January.

The former Middlesbrough manager's first game in charge was a Manchester derby clash on January 17, and while his team went into the match as underdogs, they ran out deserving 2-0 winners over Manchester City thanks to goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu.

United then followed up that landmark victory with a 3-2 triumph over league-leaders Arsenal, the second in a seven-game unbeaten run that featured an impressive six wins.

Almost five months on, Carrick has only failed to win four of his 13 fixtures in charge - losing just twice - and is on course to qualify United for the Champions League for the first time since 2023-24.

Why do Liverpool fans view Arne Slot negatively?

Media pundits such as Jamie Carragher have, at times, questioned the criticisms that Liverpool fans have for Slot, while reports from sources close to the club have indicated that owners Fenway Sports Group intend to continue with the ex-Feyenoord boss into next season.

However, Reds supporters overwhelmingly hold a negative view of the manager, despite the fact that he led the Merseysiders to a Premier League title in 2024-25, and is likely to qualify for the Champions League this term.

One of the reasons behind the negativity is that Liverpool have not shown a consistent style of play under Slot this season, a fact made more egregious by the outlay of £446.5m during the summer of 2025 - a spend designed to give the coach the opportunity to mould the squad to his liking.

To make matters worse, the pressing identity and intensity that Jurgen Klopp's Reds were known for has been excised from the team by Slot's coaching methods, leading to Liverpool being outrun by opponents in the vast majority of Premier League matches this season.

This identity clash and inconsistency has led to embarrassing moments such as the dire performance against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes on April 8, during which the Reds set up with three centre-backs in a desperate attempt to prevent a humiliating defeat, and failed to record a single shot on target while still losing 2-0 in the process.

Cultural issues also reared their head during Liverpool's 4-0 demolition at the hands of Manchester City four days prior, after which captain Virgil van Dijk admitted that the players 'gave up' - a stark contrast to the indomitable spirit of Klopp's side, embodied by the famous 'never give up' shirt worn by Mohamed Salah during the Reds' 4-0 comeback against Barcelona in 2019.

The entrenching of Slot's vision this term has also fed the belief that the current manager was able to win the league by merely continuing the work of his predecessor, and that things have gone awry now that he has put his own stamp on the club.

That being said, the main reason for the negativity is the fact that Liverpool have been uncompetitive during what is set to be remembered as the overall worst top-flight season of the 2020s so far, and could yet set a club record for defeats during a single 21st century campaign.