Michael Carrick's position as Manchester United manager appears increasingly untenable after captain Bruno Fernandes publicly questioned his tactics, with the club enduring its worst league start since 1986 and elimination from the Carabao Cup at the first hurdle.
The team sits closer to the Premier League relegation zone than the top four, and have now gone six games without a win. The most damaging development, however, came after the Champions League defeat at Como, when Fernandes openly challenged the manager's approach.
Fernandes Criticises Tactics
Speaking after the Como loss, Fernandes said: "It's a decision from the staff to not press man-to-man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball, but sometimes when you give too much the ball to these teams they get confidence." When asked if Carrick got his tactics wrong, he told TNT Sports: "That's on the manager and staff to see it, not me."
Carrick went to the travelling fans after the match to apologise for the performance, an act that followed the old football adage that losing the supporters makes a manager a "dead man walking." Now, he appears to be losing the players as well, which is generally the tipping point for any manager.
History of Player Power
Erik ten Hag, the previous manager, recently told The Athletic about "player power" and a "toxic" environment at Old Trafford during his tenure. Ten Hag said he had to be the bad cop, while Ruben Amorim came in and was "probably too honest."
Carrick's approach last season, which lifted the club from mediocrity into the Champions League places, worked initially, but being a nice guy in football is seen as a sign of weakness when results falter. The team has lacked intensity, sharpness and direction, with recruitment also coming under fire.
Signs of Civil War
Lisandro Martinez last week criticised the club's hierarchy and poor recruitment, questioning the signing of Youri Tielemans, who does not fit the system. Those remarks were the first sign of civil war, and now the captain speaking out feels like the point of no return.
United should have thanked Carrick for steering the club back into the top four and hired an elite, experienced manager in the summer, but instead they stuck with him. The situation mirrors Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tenure, with an upturn in results followed by a run out of steam.
After the 4-1 defeat at Como, one of the worst in the club's European history, it would have been no surprise if the trigger had been pulled. Carrick now stumbles on until Bournemouth on Sunday, with potential successors including Julian Nagelsmann, Antonio Conte or Eddie Howe. Conte would get results but present a scorched earth policy, while Howe inherited a bigger mess at Newcastle and did a great job, but even he can only succeed if the structure above is right, and at United that is the bigger problem.
