Michael Carrick is set to remain in charge of Manchester United for this weekend’s Premier League match away to Chelsea, according to media reports on Tuesday.
Carrick’s future at Old Trafford has been the subject of intense speculation after a miserable run of eight games without a win.
Sunday’s 3-0 humbling at home to Bournemouth left the English giants just one point above the Premier League relegation zone.
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But the BBC, Sky Sports and Britain’s Press Association all reported that former United and England midfielder Carrick would take the team to Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Carrick arrived at United’s Carrington training ground on Tuesday to oversee a routine training session.
The BBC cited “sources” as saying the 45-year-old would be given a chance by the United hierarchy to turn things around.
Carrick was handed a two-year deal in May after overseeing an impressive revival as caretaker boss following United’s struggles under Ruben Amorim.
The club recovered to finish third in the Premier League, earning a return to the Champions League.
But United have won just two of 12 matches in all competitions so far this season, with a return of seven points from eight league games representing their worst start to a league season in 40 years.
Manchester United soccer team manager Michael Carrick arrives at the team’s training center in Manchester, England.Source: AP
Carrick avoided directly answering questions about his future following the Bournemouth loss.
The United boss acknowledged the crowd at full-time as fans chanted his name in a show of support for the beleaguered manager, but they vented their anger at the players and club hierarchy.
United great Wayne Rooney, who played alongside Carrick at Old Trafford, took aim at the players following a string of poor performances.
“The players haven’t got a leg to stand on. What’s not fair is the performances they are giving,” Rooney said on the Stick to United podcast.
“I looked at the fans, you could see the pain and anger in their faces when those players are walking around the football pitch. You see [Lisandro] Martínez when Rayan ran round him, they are not getting to the ball, it’s so frustrating.
“I could score a goal, had ability or whatever, at least I f—ing ran and put myself about as a team. These players are not doing that.
“I would love to go in that dressing room and say, ‘What the f— are you all doing? What type of performances do you think this is? Do you think you deserve to wear the shirt?’ Put a f—ing firework up their a—s because they are not doing anything.
“We are seeing players who are numb, look like they have got no emotion, look like they don’t care. Some of them might care, some good lads who are getting dragged down. It is so frustrating to watch.”
Meanwhile, fellow legend Gary Neville was shocked Carrick remained at the helm.
“I’m happy. I’m surprised but I’m happy because I was absolutely certain what I witnessed on Sunday would be the end of Michael,” Neville told Sky Sports News.
“It looked like when he was walking around at the end on his own, with his players behind him, that it was a goodbye lap.
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“He was waving to the fans in an almost apologetic manner but also as a goodbye. I am surprised that ultimately still in a job, but I’m happy with it because it was very difficult on Sunday.
“How it’s going to go over the next couple of weeks, I have no idea. I hope he can get those players playing for him because they haven’t played for him in the last few weeks.”
However, even if Carrick is sacked, United great Ashley Young posed a big question: “What manager is going to come in and say ‘I want to work with this squad?’.”
“For me, the players need to be better, but how many different windows are you going to need to get those players in?” Young explained on the Overlap Daily.
“What manager is going to come in and say, ‘I want to work with this squad’? For me, the best manager in the world, Luis Enrique, would look at Manchester United now, look at that squad and say, ‘I’m not touching that. I’m not going there’.
“Most managers in the world have seen Manchester United as one of the biggest clubs in the world for years, and at the drop of a hat would have gone to be the manager. Now, I don’t believe that’s the way.”