Michael Carrick will remain in charge of Manchester United for Saturday’s trip to Chelsea, despite the club’s defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday, which turned fan support for the former midfielder into anger at the current squad. Carrick, who was visibly emotional, stayed behind to pose for selfies and sign shirts for the supporters who remained, even as hostility toward the players grew.
Asked in his post-match news conference whether he expected to be in charge for the Chelsea game, Carrick said: “I’m not expecting anything in particular, to be honest. I’m carrying on as normal.”
Few believed that was sustainable, and even Carrick’s coaching staff reportedly wondered whether they would survive the week.
United have decided that Carrick and his players will have the chance to turn things around. No timescale has been set, but Carrick will lead the team at Stamford Bridge with United 16th in the Premier League table. A crucial Champions League match against Roma follows three days later, then a Premier League game against in-form Aston Villa before a two-week international break. That break would be the most obvious point to decide whether a change of coach is needed, although no one at the club has said so publicly.
Waiting for a decision that never came
On Monday morning, many expected an announcement ending Carrick’s tenure. A senior figure at United said calm and clear thinking would be needed to navigate the turbulence around Old Trafford.
Carrick had been under pressure since the 4-1 defeat at Como on 21 October, one of the worst European nights in the club’s history. Andy Mitten, a respected United supporter and editor of the United We Stand fanzine, described that performance as “an affront to the name of Manchester United.”
Captain Bruno Fernandes publicly questioned Carrick’s tactics and the ability of the coaching staff to identify what was going wrong. A week earlier, defender Lisandro Martinez had said he expected more investment in the squad and, turning his attention to technical director Jason Wilcox, said the club needed “more from our technical director.” The comments painted a picture of a squad out of control and left the United hierarchy facing an immediate dilemma.
United felt that removing Carrick after one bad result would look reactionary and impulsive, so they stuck with the 45-year-old for the Bournemouth match. That gamble backfired. The performance was arguably worse than the one in Italy. Fernandes was left out of the starting lineup and dropped to the bench. Afterwards, the Portugal international liked an Instagram post with the caption: “Never push a loyal person to the point where they no longer care.”
Late on Sunday night, reports suggested a final decision to sack Carrick had not been made and that the judgement would stretch into Monday. There was no decision then either. The players who started against Bournemouth were given the day off, but Fernandes and Carrick were both at the Carrington training ground. Fernandes had pre-planned treatment, while Carrick watched an Under-21s game played behind closed doors.
Berrada and Wilcox were also at Carrington, discussing what the club’s immediate future should look like. Sources say it is inconceivable that minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family were not part of those discussions.
It was early evening before it became clear there would be no update on Carrick’s future. On Tuesday, he arrived at Carrington at 07:30 GMT and took training as normal. Along with Fernandes and several other players, he signed autographs and posed for photographs with a group of fans invited to the training ground that day. Four hours later, club sources confirmed he would be in charge at Stamford Bridge.
“We all want to put it right”
The current predicament is not seen as entirely Carrick’s fault. Senior figures at the club believe the players, who they think are capable of qualifying for the Champions League, are underperforming badly and should share some of the blame.
There does appear to be a general desire to support Carrick. One player said: “The feeling is that we all want to put it right. Players, staff, everyone.”
It is not known whether that “we” includes Fernandes, and it is unclear what conversations, if any, have taken place between the captain and his manager.
Removing one manager and his backroom team is far easier than replacing an entire squad of players. If results do not improve, Carrick is likely to pay the price. One former senior United official said: “Ordinarily, Michael would have gone. The last two performances were unacceptable and team discipline is broken. Not doing it is fascinating and risky.”
Some cynics argue that the main reason Carrick still has the job is that United could not secure a replacement before the Chelsea game. Some of the coaches Darren Fletcher, now the Under-18s boss, brought in to help him during his spell as interim manager in January are now part of the senior setup.
Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann were among the options United explored as they weighed a change. Appointing Howe would trigger a multimillion-pound compensation payment to his former club Newcastle. Some observers believe such payments may be a factor in United’s reluctance to act, given the sums previously spent on hiring and firing coaches.
Former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is reportedly willing to discuss the job, although there has been no direct contact. Howe, Nagelsmann and Conte are all currently out of work, as is Kieran McKenna, who worked with Carrick on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s coaching staff at United before leaving for Ipswich. Aston Villa’s Unai Emery also has strong backing at United, but the club are realistic about their chances of tempting the Spaniard away from Villa Park.
What about Berrada and Wilcox?
Wilcox’s position has also come under intense scrutiny. One source close to the club believes the former Blackburn and Leeds player will eventually lose his job if United make a third managerial change in as many seasons.
There is sympathy for Wilcox, who did not set the summer transfer budget. Others point out that Ratcliffe has provided significant transfer funds since taking charge of football affairs in early 2024, as well as injecting £300m of his own money into the club. While supporters may point to clubs such as Brentford and Brighton as proof that good players can be signed without huge fees, options for bigger clubs such as United were reportedly scarce during the summer window.
Even so, it has never been explained why the club chose to focus on strengthening the midfield last summer rather than addressing clear needs at left-back and centre-forward. Injuries to Luke Shaw and Benjamin Sesko have made those problems even more acute.
Another senior figure in the game said both Wilcox and Berrada may be vulnerable, suggesting that Ratcliffe could be considering a wider overhaul of the club’s senior staff.
For now, attention is firmly on Stamford Bridge, where Carrick is due to speak to the media on Thursday.