Michael Carrick’s future as Manchester United manager hangs in the balance following a humiliating 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como on Wednesday night.
Ahead of Bournemouth’s visit to Old Trafford on Sunday, his future could be discussed by Jason Wilcox, the director of football, Omar Berrada, the chief executive, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the co-owner who controls sporting policy.
On a torrid night, an “angry” Carrick later insisted he had not thought through his position and was forced to defend against Bruno Fernandes after his captain questioned the manager’s tactic of not putting pressure on Cesc Fàbregas’ side. Carrick also criticized his team for not showing up. Defeat against Como in the third Champions League group game leaves United with just two wins all season from 11 games. The Carrick side sit 13th in the Premier League and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup last month.
The 45-year-old was asked if he feared for his job. “Look, I haven’t thought about my own position,” he said. “(My thoughts are) with the fans – I was one of them watching it and I wasn’t happy at all.”
Carrick was then asked if he could step down after the latest defeat in Europe. “No. It’s not about me right now or my feelings about it,” the manager said. “It’s more about a team and a football club, about what we want to look like, what we should look like. And like I said, results can come and go sometimes, but you have to do it in a certain way. And this wasn’t that.”
700 United supporters made the trip. In the end there were about 200 left and Carrick went to apologize to them, obviously ignoring his players. After United conceded Nico Paz’s goal in the second minute, Carrick’s men were unable to put up any resistance. In the 57th minute, Como led 3-0, thanks to a goal from Tasos Douvikas and a second from Paz, before Jacobo Ramón completed the scoring for the Italian team in the 76th minute. Joshua Zirkzee scored in added time for the visitors.
Fernandes openly challenged Carrick’s strategy during the match. “It’s a staff decision not to press man to man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball back, wait for them, but sometimes when you give these teams space they gain confidence,” he said.
The captain was asked if Carrick’s tactics were wrong. “It’s up to the manager and staff, not me,” he said. “Sometimes you have to be braver under pressure, take the risk of pressing high and making them uncomfortable. As you saw with them, the central defender was coming to mark me in my half. We have to do it as a team but we couldn’t do it.”
Fernandes’ criticism was directed at his manager after the match. “We actually did a half man-to-man press in the second half and then conceded a goal,” Carrick said.
“No matter what system you use, no matter what tactics you use, if you don’t run, if you don’t run forward and if you don’t run back, you won’t win.”
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Carrick was asked how he could boost morale ahead of Bournemouth’s visit.
“I’m bitterly disappointed, I’m frustrated; more than frustrated, I’m really angry. But you have to move on. You have to deal with what’s next and see what that looks like.
“At the moment there is a lot to do before the next match to prepare the team because it was a difficult evening for everyone. I have to apologize to the fans.”
Gn sports
