Michael Carrick has moved to dismiss mounting speculation surrounding his position at Manchester United, insisting the dressing room remains fully supportive of him regardless of the club's struggles on the pitch.

United have made their worst start to a league season in four decades, picking up just one win from their opening six fixtures. The difficulties continued in midweek when they were beaten 2-0 by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, intensifying scrutiny on the interim boss ahead of Sunday's clash with Leeds.

Despite the results, Carrick was firm in his belief that outside noise does not reflect the reality inside the club. "There's a lot of people saying a lot of things," he said. "That doesn't mean you know what's going on here. The players totally believe me. Just because people talk on the outside doesn't make it the truth. I am telling you the truth."

The 42-year-old went further, describing the mood within the squad in notably positive terms, suggesting the togetherness behind the scenes contrasts sharply with the team's league position. "The squad today was in a fantastic place, better than I've seen it for a while, actually," Carrick said. "It's as simple as that."

He acknowledged the emotional toll that comes with working at a club of United's stature, hinting that frustration occasionally boils over among players and staff who are deeply invested in turning results around. "We're living it every day. We know what it feels like. We're emotional, we're passionate, we care a lot," he explained. "Sometimes someone says something that maybe you shouldn't say at a certain time, but that doesn't distract us from what we're creating here in the environment and the spirit within the group."

While reports have suggested Carrick's long-term future at Old Trafford is not solely dependent on the outcome against Leeds, he was adamant that his personal circumstances should not overshadow the collective effort to stabilise the club's form. The caretaker manager stressed that results, while important for everyone involved, are not about him individually.

"I don't need results, we all need results, it's not about me," he said. "Manchester United is a lot bigger than any individual, bigger than me, bigger than any player, anyone else who works at this football club, it always has been."

Carrick expanded on that sentiment, framing the club's current struggles within the context of United's broader history and identity. "It's not about me. I don't go into every day at work in this situation, this game, thinking about me. It really is not about me and it's not about any individual player, it's about the football club," he said.

He pointed to the values and traditions associated with United as the driving force behind the players' efforts to turn things around, rather than any concern over his own position. "What we stand for, what we live for, the history, the things that we need to live up to and that's what drives us," Carrick added. "So whatever is best for the football club and for the team on Sunday is the most important thing. It really is not about me."

United will look to arrest their poor run when they host Leeds, with Carrick hoping a positive performance can offer some respite from the pressure surrounding his tenure and the team's disappointing campaign so far.

Based on reporting from Standard Football.