Michael Carrick sacked LIVE: Manchester United on brink of sack as club line up replacements

Manchester United’s hierarchy have held crisis talks on Michael Carrick’s future, according to reports this Monday morning.

Carrick’s position felt untenable following the 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Sunday as the dropping of captain Bruno Fernandes, following his criticism of the manager, failed to inspire an improved performance.

Instead, another dismal display left Carrick on the brink, with director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada now set to meet to discuss the club’s next decision.

The Guardian have reported that Eddie Howe, the former Newcastle manager, is the “preferred candidate” of Wilcox and there has already been contact between him.

The Telegraph reports that Julian Nagelsmann, available after leaving Germany following the World Cup, is also on the list of candidates.

Aston Villa’s Unai Emery and Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler are also admired but United are unlikely to be able to afford their compensation packages.

Carrick looks set for the sack after another humiliating loss, to Bournemouth, but there is no sign that the Manchester United hierarchy know how to repair a broken club

“Michael Carrick is a brilliant man. He’s a man of integrity, of credibility, of decency, of professionalism, of high-quality football and consistency and reliability. Everything the group of players in that dressing room aren’t.

“And he’s going to suffer for it because he’s not been able to deliver. It’s been too much for him in these last few months. He’s not been able to get a tune out of them and they’ve turned on him.

“I know that because if Bruno has turned on him publicly, with that little statement, imagine what they’re like behind the scenes.

“If that’s your captain saying that, imagine what they’re saying in the dressing room behind closed doors when no one’s listening. That’s horrific.

“There’s a few of them that don’t go to bed at the right time, don’t eat the right things, don’t think about Manchester United every single minute of every day, and aren’t living and breathing this football club as they should be – and as professionals should.

“Why? Because it’s gone to their heads. But they still walk around like King William. They are nothing, some of those players.”

Gary Neville launched an attack on Manchester United’s players and accused them of giving up on Michael Carrick, who is under mounting pressure following the 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Sunday.

The manager dropped captain Bruno Fernandes after his criticism of Carrick’s tactics following the 4-1 defeat to Como in midweek while Lisandro Martinez spoke out against the United hierarchy following the loss at Atletico Madrid earlier this month.

United are now without a win in eight games and Neville, a former team-mate of Carrick’s under Sir Alex Ferguson, was critical of the current squad’s professionalism and standards following a remarkable unravelling under Carrick this season.

While the problems Manchester United face run far deeper than the head coach – as highlighted by defender Lisandro Martinez after the defeat to Atletico Madrid earlier this month – Michael Carrick’s appears to be on the brink following criticism of his tactics by the United captain Bruno Fernandes, who was then left on the bench against Bournemouth.

While Carrick remained in charge for Sunday’s defeat to the Cherries, the club have already discussed potential replacements should he follow the departures of Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim under the Ineos leadership.

Following the defeat to Bournemouth Michael Carrick said he had only had a short conversation after the game with the Manchester United hierarchy and is not sure if chief executive Omar Berrada and sporting director Jason Wilcox will dismiss him.

“Just briefly like always after a game, but nothing out of the ordinary,” he added. “I will see what happens. I totally understand the situation.

“I’m not expecting anything in particular, to be honest. I am carrying on as normal. I love this place. I’ll always do what I feel is going to be the best for the football club, whatever decision is made on anything really. So that’s kind of it. You know, I’m not expecting anything either way.”

Michael Carrick insisted he was not saying farewell to Manchester United after their 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth but admitted he does not know if he will be sacked.

United have made their worst start to a season for 40 years and lost their last two games by three goals, following Wednesday’s 4-1 thrashing by Como, and Carrick was taunted by Bournemouth supporters with chants of “sacked in the morning”.

He was still serenaded by United fans as he went down the tunnel but claimed: “It wasn’t a farewell from me.”

For Michael Carrick, it is now a question of when, not if. When the axe falls, when he reverts from being head coach of Manchester United to a season-ticket holder, presumably despairing of the next manager, when he pays the price for a calamity of a start to this season.

Read Richard Jolly’s match report from Old Trafford, below

It feels a matter of when, not if, Michael Carrick departs Manchester United following the club’s latest dismal defeat – this time to Bournemouth the Premier League on Sunday.

Carrick made the huge call to drop captain Bruno Fernandes from his starting line-up but United still produced an abject performance and were swept aside with ease.

It’s now eight games without a win for United, with three defeats from four, and their season has truly fallen off the tracks.

We’ll have all the latest news and developments from Old Trafford this morning.