Manchester United supporters have ridiculed the club's board as 'deluded' after reports that officials privately believe the team can still finish in the Premier League top five this season. United currently sit 18th in the table, having won just one of their opening 10 games.
Worst start in 40 years
It is United's worst start to a season in 40 years and is expected to lead to Michael Carrick being sacked over the international break. Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox will meet co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco today, where Carrick's fate will be decided.
It is expected that the former midfielder will be sacked, with Mauricio Pochettino the frontrunner to take over. United are working to reach an agreement with the former Tottenham and Chelsea boss, with a deal believed to be close.
Top-five ambition questioned
Should Pochettino arrive at United, the aim for the season appears to have already been outlined. According to BBC Sport, United chiefs privately agreed that a top-five finish is still possible this season, despite Chelsea sitting in that position with double the number of points United have earned.
Fans on social media were quick to have their say on the matter, with the majority believing that the aim may be too ambitious. One fan said: "We are 14 points behind Brighton in 2nd place we be lucky if we get any European football next season." Another added: "We need 32 points in the remaining 28 games just to avoid relegation."
A third said: "We currently have 8 points from 10 games, for some context. So how?" A fourth added: "Only top 5 we are getting is the top 5 worst seasons in United's history…"
Financial stakes and January plans
United qualified for this season's Champions League for the first time since 2023/24 after Carrick inspired the team to a third-place finish. The Reds recently posted debts of £670m, including "non-current borrowings," and missing out on Champions League football would have severe ramifications on their finances, with estimates that it may hit them to the tune of £130m.
As such, United will hope that hiring Pochettino can trigger the necessary results to arrest the slump. The former Chelsea and Spurs boss will not come cheaply, with the Reds having to fork out £7.5m to buy him out of his contract with the United States national team, plus compensation for backroom staff.
United have conceded 14 goals in their last five games in all competitions. The Daily Mail claims that three central defenders — Jarrad Branthwaite, Calvin Bassey and Nathan Collins — are all targets for the January window.
A decision on Carrick's future is yet to be communicated but is expected in the coming days, with Berrada and Wilcox keen to deliver the news to the manager's face once they have travelled back to the UK. All fingers are pointing to Pochettino taking over, and the Argentine will have his work cut out immediately with a trip to rivals Liverpool first up next weekend.
