Carrick's First Full Season: Predictions for Manchester United in 2026-27

As Michael Carrick’s first full Premier League campaign as permanent Manchester United manager kicks off at Hull’s MKM Stadium on Saturday lunchtime, the old guard have already had their say.

The ball has not yet rolled in anger, but the predictions are flying.

Carrick’s United under the microscope

Carrick steadied United impressively last season, turning an interim audition into a permanent role after guiding the club to a third-place finish in 2025-26. That surge has clearly shifted expectations. Nobody is talking about United scrambling for fourth anymore. The debate now is whether they can genuinely muscle in on the title race, or if this revival still has limits.

Five former United players – spanning title winners, European champions and dressing-room leaders – have nailed their colours to the mast for 2026-27. The verdicts are mixed, and the margins are tight.

Ben Foster: repeat performance

Ben Foster sees continuity, not a leap.

The former United goalkeeper, speaking on his Fozcast podcast, has United back in the top four and back in third.

“All right. It’s Arsenal, then it’s Chelsea, then it’s Man United, then it’s Liverpool,” he said, laying out his predicted top four in order.

He doubled down on that call, repeating the same quartet and effectively challenging United to prove him right come May: Arsenal to lead the way, Chelsea resurgent, Carrick’s side holding off Liverpool.

It’s a vote of confidence, but not one that places United at the very front of the queue.

Nicky Butt: title talk and a bold backing

Nicky Butt goes further.

The former United and England midfielder believes Carrick can push his old club into second place. On The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Butt lined up his top four as: “Liverpool, City, Man United, Arsenal.”

He then clarified his stance, suggesting Arsenal are the side many see as the benchmark, but insisting United will emerge as the closest challengers.

“So, I do think, obviously, we’re all agreeing with Arsenal [being top], but I think Man United will come second,” he added.

The message is clear: Butt expects a proper title tilt, not just Champions League consolidation.

Paul Scholes: cautious on the defence

Paul Scholes is not buying the idea of a giant leap just yet.

Also speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football, the United legend placed Carrick’s side third again – and pointed straight at the heart of the defence as the key concern.

“United [in third place] for me,” Scholes said. “I still think they’ve got a lot of work to do to… I think they need to strengthen. Now, look, possibly they could do better, but I just don’t think the centre-halves are good enough.”

Scholes sees progress, but he also sees a ceiling. Until that back line convinces him, he is not ready to move United into the top two.

Michael Owen: United fall short

Michael Owen is the first of the group to push United out of the Champions League places.

On the same show as Butt and Scholes, the former United and Liverpool striker predicted a fifth-place finish for Carrick’s team in 2026-27.

No drama, no caveats – just a blunt assessment that the club will miss out on the top four. For all the optimism around Carrick’s impact, Owen clearly feels the rest of the league will move faster.

Wayne Rooney: United hang on

Wayne Rooney sits in the middle ground.

In his BBC Sport predictions, United’s all-time leading scorer backed his former club to finish fourth. Not title contenders, not falling away – just clinging onto a Champions League spot in what he expects to be a fierce scrap at the top.

Fourth place under Carrick would still mark back-to-back top-four finishes and a measure of stability. For a manager only just stepping into his first full season in charge, Rooney’s call hints at trust, but also at how high the bar has been set.

Third. Second. Third. Fifth. Fourth.

Five United greats, five different verdicts on Carrick’s first full campaign. The only consensus is that this season will be a test of whether last year’s surge was a springboard – or the high point of a work still very much in progress.