Manchester United have been under heavy pressure over the last few weeks since their opening-day collapse against Hull City.

They were subjected to a chaotic meltdown against 10-man Manchester City and had to salvage a 1-1 draw against Fulham last Sunday.

Pundits like Gary Neville have been brutal in their criticism, accusing the side of not willing to work hard and run without the ball while discussing one passage of play against Fulham. 

However, dig deeper, and it looks like Michael Carrick is trying to build a possession and positional approach in a division that has become increasingly intense.

Why Are Manchester United Being Accused of Being Passive?

When Neville went viral tearing apart a clip of United's players seemingly "walking" during a defensive sequence against Fulham, it struck a nerve with fans conditioned to expect high-intensity pressing.

But tactically speaking, United weren't even doing anything wrong in that moment. They appeared to be holding a compact 4-4-2 mid-block. It’s the exact defensive set-up sides have opted to use to deny opponents space.

The problem is that the rest of the Premier League has completely abandoned patience. The Premier League has become increasingly aggressive and transition-focused, with many sides willing to use more intensive man-oriented pressing.

Teams hunt individual jerseys across every blade of grass rather than mark space. When every other club is sprinting until their lungs burn, a team that relies on positional geometry and structural patience instantly looks lazy by comparison.

Like the player that he actually was, Carrick isn't interested in seeing his side become another high-intensity running team.

Carrick wants an engine room built on brain over brawn. Kobbie Mainoo, Youri Tielemans, and Bruno Fernandes are players who prefer spraying razor-sharp passes through the eye of a needle rather than rely on constant off-ball running.

However, given the context of the league nowadays, is it sustainable? Is it actually contributing to their bad run of form.

Read More: Manchester United’s Derby Defeat Exposes Five Problems Michael Carrick Must Solve

What Manchester United's Running Numbers Reveal

However, the numbers highlight a glaring lack of athleticism within the set up. As reported by The Athletic, United rank near the bottom of the Premier League for total distance covered, averaging 111.9km per match.

While Manchester City share that neighborhood at the bottom, City's lower running numbers need to be considered alongside how their matches have unfolded. United are usually fighting to claw their way back.

Carrick's men rank near the very bottom for high-speed runs and explosive sprints (338.2 per game).
Beyond wingers like Marcus Rashford and Bryan Mbeumo, the spine of this starting XI, from Harry Maguire at the back to the central midfield trio of Youri Tielemans, Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes, simply lacks the raw, blazing acceleration that has become increasingly valuable in the modern Premier League.

Carlos Baleba, who is still working his way back from injury, is one of the midfielders capable of providing greater off-ball running.

What Michael Carrick Must Fix During the International Break

Carrick's approach is built around the idea that precision passing and control can outweigh the need for constant high-intensity running.

And to be fair, when it clicks, United's matches are wide-open, high-shooting spectacles where they dominate the shot counts (like their 29-12 advantage in goal attempts against Fulham or the 29-12 advantage in shots against Ipswich).

Yet, optics are a brutal currency at Old Trafford. The moment you drop points while covering less ground than your opponent, the "lack of desire" narrative writes itself.

During this international break, Carrick has a monumental psychological and tactical bridge to build. He must find a way to add greater intensity and proactive anticipation to a defence that has too often appeared passive without the ball.