Carrick's future under major threat after 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth
Michael Carrick's position as Manchester United manager is under major threat after United lost 3-0 at home to Bournemouth on Sunday in the Premier League. The club have won just one of their eight Premier League matches so far and sit 16th, 14 points off the top.
Carrick, 45, took interim charge in January following Ruben Amorim's departure and was given the permanent job in May after securing Champions League qualification with an impressive run that resulted in United finishing third. United have not recorded a top-flight victory since 30 August, when they defeated newly promoted Ipswich 5-2. Carrick made 464 appearances for Manchester United during a 12-year playing career at the club.
After the Bournemouth defeat Carrick acknowledged the situation, saying: "It's a tough situation, there's no hiding from it," and: "What it looks like and what's next I really don't know." He added: "I will always do my best for the football club and I won't change that now. I love what I do and I feel the responsibility - we'll have to wait and see." Carrick also made the decision to drop his captain Bruno Fernandes to the bench for the match.
The selection choice followed comments from Fernandes after the 4-1 defeat at Como in the Champions League on Wednesday, when the Portugal midfielder questioned Carrick's tactics. Those remarks came in the wake of defender Lisandro Martinez issuing an apology following controversial comments criticising the club's hierarchy; Martinez said he had expected more investment in the Manchester United squad and "more from our technical director [Jason Wilcox]".
Support at full-time was mixed: supporters chanted Carrick's song as he completed a lap of the pitch, but those chants turned to boos after he had left as frustration was directed at the players and the club hierarchy. On the crowd's reaction Carrick said: "It wasn't a farewell from me," and: "I've mixed emotions, I'm feeling it for my players, they're going through a tough spell. Some of it we can help, some of it the situation unravels and the boys are feeling it at the moment. "Mixed emotions for the supporters to respond in that way. To have that connection with the supporters it's mixed emotions, it'll take a bit of time to digest but I certainly appreciate their support. "The situation is where we are and we haven't had results or performances that have been good enough."
Former players and pundits voiced concern after the defeat. Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville said on Sky Sports: "The Manchester United fans are singing the Michael Carrick song because I think they know what's going to happen here. They've seen this before. He's one of their own and he's popular. "But the owners, the sporting department and the players are not popular and they've badly let this football club down. "Those two [Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox] tomorrow are probably going to make a decision that will disgust Manchester United fans, but it's probably necessary. "It's just an absolute mess." Former Premier League winner Clinton Morrison said: "That says everything to me. They're with Carrick the fans but they're not with the players. Wow. That was alarming. "Carrick got a big cheer but as soon it was just the players, they got booed. But they've not been good enough and they deserve to get booed. There's only so much a manager can do. "The players are not good enough, in my opinion, to win football matches." Ex-Manchester United full-back Ashley Young added: "Unfortunately for Michael Carrick, it's so disappointing. "The fans are behind him and backing him and of course they are, because he's a legend of the football club. But the players on the pitch showed nothing. They didn't run, they didn't look like a team together. "If you looked at the difference to the Bournemouth team, you'd swap every single player for that Manchester United team. It was a poor showing."
Neville said the club's sporting directors face an imminent decision, stating: "Those two [Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox] tomorrow are probably going to make a decision that will disgust Manchester United fans, but it's probably necessary."
