Michael Carrick will remain in charge of Manchester United for Sunday's Premier League match against Bournemouth, but growing concern among club bosses over the team's poor form means the fixture could prove pivotal to his future. No decision has been taken on plans beyond Sunday following Wednesday's 4-1 defeat to Como in the Champions League.
There is a feeling within Carrington training ground that the performance and result against Como were unacceptable, as Carrick himself said after the match. Sympathy remains for Carrick given the injury problems he is dealing with, and many supporters agreed with Lisandro Martinez's recent comments that the squad is not strong enough to compete at the top level. Martinez directed his criticism at the United hierarchy, not the head coach.
Club directors believe the squad is stronger than last season, when Carrick secured a third-placed Premier League finish, and the team has woefully underperformed so far this campaign. United's directors interviewed a host of other candidates in January before appointing Carrick, and while there is thought to have been no recent formal contact with them, such discussions cannot be ruled out in the coming days.
Bruno Fernandes will not be stripped of the captaincy despite his criticism of the coaching staff and tactics after the Como defeat, and he is unlikely to face discipline. Sky Sports News understands that disappointment within the club is tempered by a wider feeling that the captain was voicing understandable frustration at the manner of the defeat. Carrick responded at his post-match news conference: "If you don't run back, you ain't going to win."
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing