# Old Trafford Fortress Under Carrick, But Derby Day Tensions Simmer

Reds, let’s talk about the elephant in the room before we face City on Sunday. Yes, our home form under Michael Carrick has been absolutely sensational, but there’s a storm brewing between the faithful and the suits upstairs.

Nine wins from 10 at the Theatre of Dreams in 2026. That’s not just good, that’s fortress mentality restored! Our 2.7 points per game at Old Trafford is the best in the Premier League this calendar year, better than Arsenal and even better than the Blues across town. We’ve bagged 26 goals on home turf, more than anyone else. Carrick has turned our stadium back into what it should be: a place where opponents fear to tread.

Only Leeds have managed to nick three points from us at home in 2026, and now Pep’s lot are coming to try their luck. They’ll be walking into an atmosphere, alright, but not the one they’re expecting.

Before kick-off, United fans are planning protests over the club’s crackdown on ticket touting. Look, we all want genuine supporters in the seats, but the way INEOS and the hierarchy are handling this has rubbed many the wrong way. The relationship between matchgoing fans and the boardroom is getting increasingly tense, and that’s the last thing we need when we’re trying to build momentum under our Head Coach.

Carrick deserves better than this distraction. The man earned his permanent contract by dragging us to third place and Champions League football, beating City, Arsenal and Liverpool along the way. Now he’s got us playing like a proper side again, with Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo and our attacking options firing on all cylinders.

Sunday should be pure celebration of how far we’ve come, but instead there’s a fractured feeling around Old Trafford. Win the derby convincingly, and maybe, just maybe, we can unite everyone again under one red banner.

✍️ This summary was written by the MUFC Fanatics SA team based on reporting from The Guardian.

⚽ Want the full story? Get the complete sauce from The Guardian — this summary was written by the MUFC Fanatics SA team.