Michael Carrick remains Manchester United's manager, but his position is under serious strain after a 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth on Sunday, according to Manchester Evening News. The result at Old Trafford followed a 4-1 Champions League loss at Como earlier in the week.
Manchester Evening News reports that crisis talks have taken place at the club, and that Carrick is expected to take training on Tuesday afternoon. Whether he is still in the job beyond that session is unclear.
Why it matters
United are dealing with two heavy defeats in quick succession, and the second came in front of their own supporters. The Bournemouth loss arrived days after the collapse in Como, leaving the club's season under immediate pressure.
The situation also involves the dressing room. Club captain Bruno Fernandes criticised Carrick's tactics after the Como defeat, according to Manchester Evening News, and was then left on the bench for the Bournemouth match. He did not come on at all, even though United trailed for most of the game.
Carrick, a former United midfielder, now faces questions over both results and his relationship with his captain. Manchester Evening News describes his future as looking finite.
Three hours at Carrington
Carrick spent three hours at United's Carrington training ground on Monday, where he watched the under-21 side play Hull City in a behind-closed-doors friendly, Manchester Evening News reports. Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox were also at the base at the time.
The same outlet reports that Fernandes was at Carrington amid the talks. The captain's presence there, a day after he was left unused against Bournemouth, has drawn attention.
The atmosphere at Old Trafford on Sunday was split. Fans backed Carrick, a former player they know well, cheering him until he disappeared down the tunnel. Once he was out of sight, they turned on the players.
Pundits weigh in on a wider problem
Former players have used the moment to question the squad rather than only the manager. Liverpool great Steven Gerrard, speaking on Overlap Daily, said United still have good footballers but named several he believes no longer meet the club's standard.
Gerrard called Fernandes the best player at the club and said he is a pleasure to watch when playing well. He was far less generous about the defence. He said Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw have had strong careers but argued both should have been moved on sooner.
He also questioned Lisandro Martinez's commitment, claiming the defender was focused on the World Cup last year and that his conduct around injury and selection "stinks" to him. On the midfield, Gerrard said Andrey Santos, signed from Chelsea for £50million, is not a United player, and that Carlos Baleba, a £70million signing, has potential but is not yet ready to lift the team to the top of the league.
Gerrard extended the criticism to recruitment. He asked why the club is buying players who are not good enough, and said those arrivals reflect the calibre of player United can now attract. He compared the current wide options unfavourably with the era of Ryan Giggs and David Beckham, describing Amad Diallo as inconsistent and yet to show anything this season.
Those are Gerrard's opinions, offered on a podcast, not findings of any review. But they frame the debate around Carrick: whether the problems sit with the coach, the squad, or the people who assembled it.
What to watch
Carrick's immediate test is the training session on Tuesday afternoon, after which the club's intentions should become clearer. Manchester Evening News says it will carry further updates on his position.
