Manchester United's top executives arrived at Carrington on Monday morning to discuss the expected sacking of Michael Carrick, less than 24 hours after Bournemouth's 3-0 win at Old Trafford left United 16th in the Premier League, winless in eight games and facing a third managerial change in 12 months.
Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox were at the training complex early on Monday, according to The Sun, after the hierarchy held internal talks on Sunday night about the club's next move. No compensation package with Carrick's representatives had yet been agreed, and as of Monday morning Carrick remained head coach — but nobody around Old Trafford is pretending this is a question of if rather than when.
Six defeats in 12 and a season falling apart
The numbers have become impossible to defend. Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth — Rayan, Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson scoring as United were swept aside at home — was a sixth defeat in 12 games this season and extended the winless run to eight matches in all competitions. United have won just two of those 12, sit 16th and are only two points above the relegation zone, in what has been described as their worst start to a season for 40 years.
The Bournemouth collapse also came four days after the 4-1 thrashing by Como in Europe, a defeat after which captain Bruno Fernandes publicly questioned Carrick's tactics. Carrick responded by taking the biggest call of his tenure: he dropped Bruno Fernandes for the Bournemouth game, describing it as a purely football decision. Fernandes never came on, did not warm up until the 58th minute and received a mixed reception. The gamble backfired completely — United produced another abject performance without their captain, and the authority Carrick needed to project instead drained away.
Carrick, a club legend who made 464 appearances as a player, was still serenaded by supporters as he walked down the tunnel on Sunday, even as Bournemouth fans taunted him with chants of "sacked in the morning". Asked whether his wave to the crowd was a goodbye, he insisted: "It wasn't a farewell from me" — while admitting he does not know whether he will keep his job.
Why no announcement came on Sunday night
Many supporters expected a statement on Sunday evening, but there is a procedural reason one could not come. As talkSPORT reported, United cannot announce a sacking before informing the New York Stock Exchange, which is closed at weekends. The same constraint delayed the official confirmation of Ruben Amorim's dismissal in January: the decision was taken on a Sunday night but only announced the following day. talkSPORT also reported that dressing-room insiders expect Carrick to be sacked, and that the two-year deal he signed in the summer is believed to contain a break clause.
Intriguingly, Fernandes also arrived at Carrington on Monday despite the squad having a scheduled day off. The only other players present were those receiving treatment, and the captain is understood to have been there for treatment rather than for any meeting — but his presence underlined how unsettled the club is on the morning its executives gathered to decide the manager's future.
So what happens next?
United are already sounding out what comes after Carrick. Eddie Howe, out of work since leaving Newcastle in July, is reported to be Wilcox's preferred option and is leading the shortlist. Julian Nagelsmann has also been sounded out and is understood to be keen on the job after his spell as Germany coach ended in the summer. Antonio Conte has not received a formal approach — he said on Friday he would be receptive "should a concrete opportunity arise", but United are reported to have doubts about the Italian. Another interim appointment, the route that brought Carrick himself back to Old Trafford ten months ago, has not been ruled out either.
Whoever takes over inherits a squad in open friction with its leadership — Fernandes questioning tactics, Lisandro Martinez having aimed criticism at the hierarchy after the defeat at Atletico Madrid — and a team two points above the relegation zone. The next manager will be United's third in 12 months, and the margin for another failed appointment has all but disappeared.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Carrick's sacking, when it is confirmed, will not be harsh — it will be overdue. Dropping your captain to prove a point and then losing 3-0 at home without him was the moment a bad run became an untenable one, and a club sitting 16th cannot dress that up as patience. But United's executives should not escape this either: Berrada and Wilcox hired Carrick permanently in the summer, backed the squad he has, and are now preparing to pay to undo their own decision for the second time in a year. Sacking the manager is the easy part. Until the people choosing the managers get one right, Old Trafford will keep having these Monday mornings.
Should United appoint Eddie Howe, gamble on Julian Nagelsmann — or would Antonio Conte be the strong hand this dressing room actually needs? Have your say in the comments.
