Michael Carrick arrived at Manchester United’s Carrington training complex at 1:50pm on Monday to oversee an under-21s training session. His presence came as club leadership, specifically director of football Jason Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada, held internal discussions regarding his future as head coach. The two executives met early in the morning following the club’s 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth, a result that has left the manager’s position precarious. Carrick arrived at 1.50pm to watch the under-21s play a behind‑closed-doors game.
United currently sit 16th in the Premier League, sitting just a point clear of the relegation zone. The weekend loss extended a winless streak to eight matches, with the team managing only two victories throughout the entire campaign. Wilcox and Berrada departed the training ground just before 5pm, with Carrick leaving shortly afterward. Who have two victories all season, the defeat made it eight games without a win for Carrick’s side.
Should the club choose to dismiss the 45-year-old, Eddie Howe is currently favored by Wilcox to take over, with contact between the parties already established. Hiring the 48-year-old former Newcastle boss would be a more affordable alternative to Aston Villa’s Unai Emery, who would command roughly £20 million in compensation. Other potential candidates under consideration include former Germany and Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann, who has been discussed by recruitment director Christopher Vivell, and former Napoli manager Antonio Conte, who remains an option for football policy chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Howe, 48, would be less expensive to recruit than Unai Emery, another admired manager, because Aston Villa would demand around £20m in compensation for the Spaniard.
Tensions within the squad have also surfaced. Carrick benched captain Bruno Fernandes for the Bournemouth match, citing “pure football reasons” after the midfielder criticized his tactical approach during the 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como last week. Fernandes, who remained an unused substitute, was booed by fans in the Stretford End alongside his teammates. This came after the 32‑year‑old criticised Carrick for his tactics in the 4-1 capitulation at Como in the Champions League last Wednesday.
Following the weekend defeat, Fernandes liked a social media post on Instagram stating, “Never push a loyal person to the point where they no longer care,” and suggesting that the individual holding a team together is often the person nobody checks on. The pair previously worked together at RB Leipzig.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that Ineos, the firm owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has placed the Swiss club FC Lausanne-Sport up for sale, though the company declined to comment on the matter. Lausanne-Sport currently sits at the bottom of the Swiss top flight.
