Michael Carrick will remain in charge of Manchester United for Sunday’s Premier League match against Bournemouth, according to Sky Sports, even as concern mounts among club bosses at Old Trafford over the team’s form. The decision keeps Carrick in the dugout for now, but his longer-term future remains unsettled heading into the weekend.
United have endured their worst start to a league season since 1986, taking just seven points from seven games. The club was eliminated from the Carabao Cup at the first hurdle, drew 1-1 at Leeds United on Sunday and then lost 4-1 to Como in the Champions League on Wednesday, extending a winless run across all competitions to six matches. United sit 13th in the Premier League table with just two wins from 11 total matches this season.
The Main Development
Sky Sports reported that Carrick’s Bournemouth status is not in question for this weekend, but growing concern among club bosses at Old Trafford has put his future on the agenda. There is a feeling both inside and outside the club that Sunday’s game could prove pivotal in determining whether Carrick stays beyond it.
According to The Guardian, Carrick’s future is in the balance and may be discussed by United hierarchy before kickoff against Bournemouth. The BBC reported that some senior figures at the club are wary of making another managerial change so soon after cycling through managers in each of the past two seasons.
Carrick addressed his own position directly after the Como defeat. “Listen, I’ve not given my own position any thought. For the supporters, I was one of them watching that and I wasn’t happy at all,” he said, as reported by USA Today.
Asked if he would consider stepping down, Carrick said, “No. It’s not about me right now and my feelings in that regard. It’s more of as a team and as a football club, what we want to look like, what we should look like.
And as I said, the results can come and go at times, but you got to do it in a certain way. And that wasn’t it.”
What It Means
The tension at Old Trafford has been sharpened by public criticism from within the squad. United captain Bruno Fernandes publicly questioned the coaching staff’s tactics after the Como loss. Fernandes will not be stripped of the captaincy and is unlikely to face punishment for the comments, according to Sky Sports.
Carrick responded to the criticism in his post-match news conference, saying, “If you don’t run back, you ain’t going to win.” He also called the Como performance “not acceptable.”
Club bosses feel the current squad is stronger than the one Carrick guided to a third-place Premier League finish last season as interim manager, which makes this season’s results harder to explain internally, Sky Sports reported. There is reported sympathy for Carrick given injury problems affecting his squad, even as patience with results wears thin.
Context And Tactical Concerns
Statistical trends point to a team that has become more passive defensively under Carrick this season. United ranked sixth-best in the Premier League last season for limiting opponent buildup pass completion outside the final third at 80.4%. This season that figure has risen to 83.1%, dropping United to 14th-best, according to Sporting News. United are also forcing just 16.7 opposition turnovers in the attacking third per match, third-worst in the Premier League and ninth-worst among the big five European leagues.
United have gone through seven permanent managers since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 and have not won a Premier League title since his departure. The club fired Erik ten Hag in October 2024 and Ruben Amorim in January 2026, a pattern that has left some senior figures at the club wary of another change, according to the BBC.
Carrick, 45, is a figure with deep ties to the club from his playing days and guided United to Champions League qualification as interim manager last season before being given the job on a permanent basis.
Potential Replacements Already Being Discussed
Names being mentioned as possible successors if United do move on from Carrick include Julian Nagelsmann, the former Bayern Munich and Germany manager reported to be interested in the role, and Eddie Howe, who is currently available and reportedly admired by United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Cesc Fàbregas, who managed Como to Wednesday’s win over United, has also been mentioned as a candidate.
Fàbregas was asked before the Como match about replacing Carrick and declined to engage with the premise. “I won’t answer that question because I think that’s not a very nice question. I don’t think that shows enough respect to a great footballer and manager like Michael Carrick at the helm of a wonderful Manchester United side,” he said.
What’s Next
Manchester United host Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday with Carrick in the dugout. Club hierarchy may discuss his future before that match, according to The Guardian, though no formal decision on his status beyond Sunday has been reported. For more on the pressure building around Carrick, see Carrick under pressure after United’s worst start in 40 years and the latest on potential replacement candidates circulating around Old Trafford.
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