Manchester United appear to be on the verge of sacking Michael Carrick following their heavy 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como on Wednesday night. The Red Devils were thrashed by their Italian opponents, intensifying the pressure on a manager who has secured only one victory in all competitions since taking charge on a permanent basis over the summer.
Fernandes questions tactics after defeat
Bruno Fernandes questioned Carrick's tactics after the final whistle, claiming that he and his team-mates had been instructed not to play man-for-man. The manager addressed this in his post-match press conference with a defiant response.
"We actually half pressed man to man in the second half and then conceded a goal from that," Carrick said. "It's a little bit on whatever system you play, whatever tactics you play, but if you don’t run, you don’t run forward, you don’t run back, you aren’t going to win."
INEOS reportedly compiling replacement shortlist
The defeat leaves Carrick under enormous pressure to save his job, with INEOS reportedly having drawn up a shortlist of potential replacements. It remains to be seen whether the damage has already been done.
Express Sport is running a live blog tracking developments on Carrick's future throughout the day, with updates on any decisions made by the club's hierarchy.
