Michael Carrick will continue as Manchester United head coach after the club's leadership decided against sacking him following crisis talks. The decision comes after Sunday's 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth extended a poor start to the season, during which Carrick had appeared resigned to losing his job.
Carrick's fate after Bournemouth loss
Speaking after the match, Carrick acknowledged the difficulty of the situation, saying: "It's a tough situation, there's no hiding from it. What it looks like and what's next, I really don't know. I will always do my best for the football club and I won't change that now. I love what I do and I feel the responsibility - we'll have to wait and see."
Those comments suggested he expected to be dismissed, but he will now lead United against Chelsea this weekend.
Decision after crisis talks
The decision to keep Carrick in place was made after discussions involving chief executive Omar Berrada, director of football Jason Wilcox, and co-owners the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The outcome indicates the club recognises its problems extend beyond the head coach.
Carrick took training on Tuesday morning and will prepare for the trip to Stamford Bridge as normal, with United sitting just above the relegation zone. The decision is likely to be welcomed by some United supporters, many of whom cheered him after the Bournemouth loss before turning on the players.
Selection questions ahead of Chelsea
How the players respond to the decision will become clearer during the Chelsea match. Carrick's most notable selection dilemma involves Bruno Fernandes, who was dropped for the Bournemouth game after criticising Carrick's tactics during the Champions League defeat against Como.
