Manchester United have confirmed they are keeping faith with manager Michael Carrick despite the team going more than a month without a win in any competition, and a majority of Express Sport readers support the decision.
United have won just twice in all competitions this season, with last weekend's 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth leaving them only one point above the relegation zone. A run of two draws and three defeats since the international break had raised fears that Carrick would not last the week, but he has been given time to turn things around for the time being.
Carrick Addresses Speculation
The former England midfielder has also held clear-the-air talks with Bruno Fernandes after United's captain was dropped following his comments in the aftermath of a 4-1 Champions League defeat at Como.
Asked after the Bournemouth defeat whether he expected to be sacked, Carrick said: "I totally understand the situation. I'm not expecting anything in particular to be honest, I'm carrying on as normal."
"I love this place and I'll always do what I feel is going to be best for the football club, whatever decision is made on anything, really. That's kind of it, I'm not expecting either way," he added.
Readers Back the Boss
A huge 69 per cent of Express Sport readers who responded to the latest poll believe United have not made a mistake by backing the boss. For some, the argument for giving Carrick a stay of execution comes down to his achievements last term.
Carrick took over a team sitting seventh in the table and coming off one win in six matches, but led them to victory in each of his first four outings as interim manager.
The 31 per cent who think Carrick should be gone might share the opinion aired by Lisandro Martinez after the recent Champions League reverse against Atletico Madrid. "He does his best but every season is different. You can't stay with what you did last season," the defender said. "The teams know how you play, they know every detail. If you don't change, next season is a big problem."
Saturday's Test at Chelsea
Saturday's trip to West London will offer United and their manager a chance to prove themselves right. Chelsea, led by Xabi Alonso, are coming off a league loss at home to Tottenham and a Carabao Cup elimination on penalties at the hands of Liverpool.
The Blues find themselves in a position which benefited Carrick last term, with no European commitments to distract from the goal of finishing as high as possible in the league. United's early cup elimination means this is a rare example of a week where the visitors go into the game with more rest.
