Carrick confident Man Utd can turn form around after Fulham draw

Michael Carrick remains convinced Manchester United can enjoy a successful season despite another frustrating result, insisting the team's recent run has been made to look worse by a series of fine margins.

United were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham at Craven Cottage, with Lisandro Martinez 's own goal putting the hosts ahead before Matheus Cunha's late deflected effort rescued a point for the visitors.

Carrick was frustrated by the result, particularly after United created enough chances to take all three points. Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno was named his side's standout performer, while United also struck the post twice.

"We are not happy about not winning the game but there are things to take from this game, for sure," Carrick told MUTV and Sky Sports.

The United head coach believes his team's response after falling behind was particularly encouraging, with the players continuing to attack and eventually finding a way back into the game.

"The way we responded to going down was really pleasing," he said. "The boys were really positive and played with good purpose."

Carrick also pointed to several unfortunate moments that have contributed to United dropping points, including the late Everton goal, Manchester City 's controversial goal and Martinez's own goal at Fulham.

He stressed, however, that United cannot allow those incidents to distract from areas where improvement is required.

"There are parts we can do better," Carrick admitted. "We need to learn a lot from this first chapter of the season really and we need to be better, that is pretty clear."

The draw came as United began a lengthy break from club football, giving Carrick time to reflect on the opening part of the campaign before his players return from international duty.

The manager believes the upcoming run of fixtures will provide an important opportunity for his squad to build momentum.

"This first chapter feels a bit of a sprint," Carrick said. "We wanted more points, we haven't quite got them, but there's still a lot of encouragement from me moving forward."

Despite the disappointment, Carrick remains confident about what lies ahead.

"I'm convinced we'll have a good season," he said. "We're having a spell that feels bigger than it actually is to the outside. We'll get back to winning football matches and we'll be alright."

For now, United head into the international break with work still to do, but Carrick believes the performance at Fulham offered enough encouragement to suggest the situation can change quickly.

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