Under-fire Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick arrived at Carrington on Monday after chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox held talks over his future. Sources indicate Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann are potential replacements.
The popular former Red Devils midfielder steadied the ship after Ruben Amorim’s rocky reign and helped it change course. His January arrival inspired the side’s rise to third in the Premier League. Carrick earned a two-year contract to stay on as United boss, but just five months later he faces the sack following Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Bournemouth at Old Trafford.
Talks over the managerial situation followed that defeat and continued after Berrada and Wilcox arrived at the Carrington training complex on Monday morning, it is understood. Carrick arrived at the training ground shortly before 2 p.m., as United’s Under-21s took on Hull in a behind-closed-doors friendly. Hull were the side that helped ensure United got their Premier League season off to a nightmare start.
A Season Spiraling Off Course
Carrick’s side are without a win in eight games. The Bournemouth defeat came days after a 4-1 Champions League loss at Como. United have won just two of their 12 matches in all competitions this term, and their seven points from eight league matches represent their worst start to a season since 1986.
United sit just one point above the relegation zone in 16th place. They face Chelsea on Saturday before heading into the international break with home games against Roma and Aston Villa.
Fans Turn Their Anger on the Owners
Carrick sidestepped questions about his future after the Bournemouth match. He appeared to know the writing was on the wall, waving to the crowd and patting his chest as he left the pitch. Fans supportively chanted his name. The Old Trafford faithful directed their anger instead at the Glazers, co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the Ineos set-up, and United director of football Wilcox.
Players were booed at the final whistle and again as they followed Carrick down the tunnel. The manager left skipper Bruno Fernandes on the bench that day. The 32-year-old has been a pale imitation of the player who won last season’s Professional Footballers’ Association and Football Writers’ Association awards. The frustrated captain had questioned the manager’s tactics after the Como defeat.
Carrick called the decision a “pure football” choice made before the match rather than a punishment, but he declined to give Fernandes a single minute. Fernandes was also at Carrington on Monday, a day off for the players, to receive what is understood to be pre-planned treatment.
The skipper’s eye-catching remarks in Italy came a week after Lisandro Martínez was fined and brought in for talks. Martínez had criticized the club hierarchy in a series of stunning interviews after the loss at Atlético Madrid.