United’s Newest Excuse? Carrick’s Men Blame the Amazon Cameras

Manchester United are already in that familiar, unpleasant territory where every bad result starts spawning theories, excuses and a fair bit of hand-wringing. And this one is a proper modern-football number: some of the players reportedly believe the club’s Amazon documentary cameras are part of the reason this season has gone so wrong.

It’s hard not to raise an eyebrow at that, because if your season is being derailed by a film crew, you’re probably in a deeper mess than you first thought. United have made their worst-ever start to a Premier League campaign, picking up just seven points from their opening seven matches, and Michael Carrick’s side are already sitting 13th, a hefty 14 points adrift of Manchester City at the top.

Carrick, who was handed the permanent job in the summer after his spell in interim charge impressed plenty, has only managed one league win so far this term, the 5-2 hammering of Ipswich Town in August. Since then, the mood has been anything but convincing, even if the manager tried to strike a positive note after the 1-1 draw away at Leeds on Sunday.

He spoke like a man desperate for a reset, saying it felt like a fresh start and praising the group’s effort, intensity and purpose. In truth, that says a lot about where United are right now: a point away at Leeds being treated like a small step forward rather than the sort of result the club used to expect as standard. That, in a nutshell, is the problem.

The camera factor

According to reports, some United players think the club’s new All or Nothing-style arrangement with Amazon is making it harder for people to speak plainly in private. The feeling is that the cameras in and around the dressing room are stopping honest conversations between players and staff, with everyone apparently a bit more guarded than they should be.

Now, let’s be clear: documentaries don’t miss tackles, lose duels or fail to defend set pieces. That’s down to the players. But if there’s one thing top dressing rooms need after a poor run, it’s brutal honesty, and if people are thinking twice because they’re worried about what ends up in the final cut, then that’s hardly ideal.

One source described the cameras as a nuisance, with some players unhappy at having regular filming sessions and others feeling that too many punches are being pulled when it comes to post-match conversations. And that’s the danger: if the environment becomes more about image than candour, you’re in trouble before the next ball is even kicked.

It’s also worth noting that Lisandro Martinez had already hinted that summer recruitment was part of the issue, so there’s clearly no shortage of frustration inside the camp. Whether the blame lies with the squad balance, the transfer business or the documentary setup, the simple truth is United are not functioning like a serious top-four side at the moment.

Big week ahead for Carrick

United now need a response, and quickly. They face Italian side Como in the Champions League on Wednesday before returning to Premier League duty against Bournemouth at Old Trafford four days later. Those are the sort of fixtures that can either steady the ship or crank up the pressure even further.

For Carrick, the focus has to be on getting the basics right: sharper defending, more courage in possession and, above all, less noise around the team. Because when a club of United’s size starts talking about cameras in the dressing room as a possible reason for poor form, you know things have gone badly off script.

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