Wednesday’s 4-1 drubbing by Como in the Champions League made it seven matches without a victory for Manchester United and manager Michael Carrick is feeling the heat.
BBC Sport’s Simon Stone, Sami Mokbel and Dan Roan report the Red Devils have started the process of identifying replacements for their beleaguered manager even though Carrick does retain support from some circles.
Eddie Howe, Antonio Conte and Julian Nagelsmann are among those interested in the position.
Carrick cut an agitated figure during Wednesday’s match in Italy and immediately sought out the away fans after the match to offer an apology. His troubles were compounded by captain Bruno Fernandes’s post-match interview in which he openly questioned his manager’s tactics.
“It’s a decision from the staff to not press man to man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball, but sometimes when you give too much the ball to these teams they get confidence,” Fernandes said of the defeat.
Asked if the gaffer got it wrong, the Portugal midfielder said it wasn’t up to him to answer.
“That’s on the manager and staff to see it, not me,” Fernandes said. “Sometimes you have to be more brave under pressure, take the risk of pressing high and making them uncomfortable.”
There are still those who believe Carrick should be given more time, noting the turnaround in play from the team when he took over last January on an interim basis following the firing of Ruben Amorim and led the team to a third-place finish in the Premier League.
Currently 13th in the table and five points behind Liverpool for the final Champions League place, United hosts Bournemouth on Sunday before a Halloween contest at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. Roma will be welcomed at Old Trafford for a Champions League date on Nov. 3 ahead of the arrival of Aston Villa on Nov. 8. Following those four games, European leagues will once again shut down for another international break.
The Red Devils return to play on Nov. 22 at Anfield against Liverpool. It’s conceivable that the club will have made a decision about Carrick’s future before the two-week break.
The 45-year-old Carrick was named permanent boss in May on a two-year deal. The United job is Carrick’s second management position, having previously served as boss at Middlesbrough for three seasons from 2022 to 2025. An assistant manager at United under both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Carrick briefly served as caretaker manager for the club for three matches in 2021 after the departure of the latter.
As a player, Carrick spent 12 seasons at Old Trafford, winning five Premier League titles, an FA Cup, two League Cups and a Champions League title.