Michael Carrick looks poised to lose his job as Manchester United head coach following their 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth, according to Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher.
The humbling defeat leaves United just above the relegation zone following their worst-ever start to a Premier League season.
"It is going to get ridiculously difficult for Michael Carrick to be Manchester United manager moving forward. That's the problem the club have got," said Neville during Sky Sports' match commentary.
"It is horrible to say that."
Carrick struck a defiant tone after the game but his lengthy applause towards the United fans after the final whistle were immediately interpreted as a farewell gesture.
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"Michael Carrick needs to be relieved of his duties tonight," added Jamie Carragher. "Not just for the good of Manchester United but also for the good of Michael Carrick.
"Manchester United need to make that decision tonight."
Carrick led United to Champions League football after taking over from Ruben Amorim in mid-season last year, but United are winless in their last eight matches amid a wretched start to the current campaign.
"I did think last season that the club should have gone for the best manager they could have got and not given the job to Michael Carrick because I felt this might happen. But this has gone very, very sour very quickly and the club is a mess," said Neville.
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Carrick's name was chanted loudly by the Old Trafford faithful following Bournemouth's game-sealing third goal but Neville fears that time may already be up for his former team-mate.
"Carrick is popular. But the owners, the sporting department and the players are not popular. They have badly let the club down.
"Tomorrow, they will probably make a decision that will disgust Manchester United fans but it is probably necessary.
"The Manchester United fans are singing Carrick's name because the reality tomorrow is: will he be the manager?
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Bruno Fernandes was dropped from the match on Sunday after he criticised Carrick's tactics in the wake of Wednesday's 4-1 thrashing at Como in the Champions League. Surprisingly, the United captain stayed on the bench for the entirety of the defeat to Bournemouth.
"Picking the team is always a difficult decision," Carrick told Sky Sports. "We've got to make what we feel is the right one for the team to try to get the performance we want."
Carrick described his reasons for dropping his captain as "pure football."