Manchester United’s season has reached another bleak Monday, with Michael Carrick’s position under growing scrutiny after Bournemouth won 3-0 at Old Trafford and left the club only one point above the relegation places.
Key takeaways
- United have gone eight matches without a victory in all competitions.
- Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada met at the club on Monday to discuss the next steps.
- Carrick attended a closed-doors Under-21 match against Hull City at Carrington.
- The first-team squad were given the day off and are due back in training on Tuesday.
- Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann have been mentioned as possible replacements should Carrick be dismissed.
A crisis deepens at Old Trafford
The Bournemouth defeat was the latest hard knock in a campaign that has rarely found its feet. United’s loss at home on Sunday followed last week’s 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como, another result that has added to the pressure around Carrick and his staff.
With the team sitting perilously close to the drop, the club’s senior figures have been considering their options. Sporting director Wilcox held talks with chief executive Berrada at United’s facilities on Monday afternoon as the hierarchy weighed how to respond to the slide.
Carrick was also at Carrington, where he watched United’s Under-21 side play Hull City behind closed doors. He departed after the match, with no immediate clarity over whether he will remain in charge for the next fixture.
Tuesday brings the next call
The players were not required in on Monday, following the weekend defeat, and will return to work on Tuesday. By then, the manager may have a clearer idea of the club’s intentions.
Potential successors are already being discussed should United decide a change is required. Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann, both currently without a club, are among the leading names under consideration.
For Carrick, the arithmetic is unforgiving: eight matches without a win, a heavy home defeat, and a league position that leaves no room for another false start. At Old Trafford, even a day off can feel like a long wait for the phone to ring.
