Carrick is still Manchester United manager this morning, less than 48 hours after a 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth that most of English football had assumed would cost him his job.
Director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada met at the training ground on Monday to review his position, with senior club officials holding talks following Sunday’s defeat amid speculation about his future. Alternatives had already been sounded out. The sack was widely expected to be announced before training on Tuesday.
Instead, Carrick took the session.
The Como night that started it
The real breaking point came four days earlier, on 21 October in Italy. Manchester United were beaten 4-1 by Como in the Champions League, a result BBC Sport described as one of the worst European nights in the club’s history. Captain Bruno Fernandes publicly questioned Carrick’s tactics and the staff’s inability to spot what was going wrong.
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Senior figures felt a dismissal based on a single bad night in Italy would look reactionary. The decision was taken to see how the squad responded against Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday 25 October.
The response was worse. United lost 3-0 at home and sit 16th in the Premier League, one point above the relegation zone. Supporters sang Carrick’s name as he left the pitch and directed their anger at the players.
Howe and Nagelsmann in the frame
Eddie Howe, 48, has been Wilcox’s first-choice replacement if the club decides to change course, with Julian Nagelsmann the alternative. Howe stepped down as Newcastle United head coach on 31 July 2026 to recharge and take a break, but is understood to be interested in talking to United despite that stated plan. Nagelsmann is still Germany head coach.
Both options remain open. Monday’s meeting did not close them. The club line, carried across the national press, is only that Carrick and his players have been given an opportunity to turn the season around.
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Carrick’s own reading of the situation has been low-key. Speaking to BBC Sport, he said his conversations with executives had been “just briefly, like always after a game, but nothing out of the ordinary”, adding that he would see what happens.
Saturday at Stamford Bridge
Manchester United travel to Chelsea on Saturday 31 October at Stamford Bridge. A ninth match without a win would reopen a decision the Old Trafford hierarchy thought they had settled on Tuesday.
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