Manchester United are reportedly already compiling a shortlist of Michael Carrick replacements after Wednesday’s defeat to Como.
Although the club have suggested it’s ‘business as usual’ in the lead-up to Sunday’s clash with Bournemouth, BBC Sport’s Simon Stone suggests they’re scouring the market for potential successors.
Who could succeed Carrick in the Old Trafford hot seat?
(Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
He claims that Antonio Conte, Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann ‘have their eyes’ on the potential United vacancy.
As things stand, Carrick is due to speak to the press at 1.30pm this afternoon for his pre-match press conference, and he’ll undoubtedly be put on the spot regarding his future.
United are without a win in their last seven games across all competitions – their longest winless run since they stretched to eight matches in December 2015.
They last tasted victory in the Premier League in August when overturning Ipswich Town 5-2 at Old Trafford, and they have since drawn four times and lost to Manchester City.
The aftermath of Como 4-1 United
(Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Carrick’s tactics came into question by none other than his skipper, Bruno Fernandes, at full-time in Italy.
“It’s a decision from the staff to not press man-to-man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball, wait for them, but sometimes when you give space to these teams they get confidence,” he expressed.
Further pressed on whether he believed the manager got said tactics wrong, he responded: “That’s on the manager and staff to see, not me. Sometimes you have to be more brave under pressure, take the risk of pressing high and making them uncomfortable.”
Carrick seemed to hit back at Fernandes himself when speaking to the media, saying: “We actually half-pressed, man-to-man in the second half and then ended up conceding a goal from that.
“It’s a little bit on whatever system you play, whatever tactics you play, if you don’t run and you don’t run forward and you don’t run back, you ain’t going to win.”
Michael Carrick responded to Bruno Fernandes' post-match comments criticising the tactics. pic.twitter.com/RpJLlaEstb
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