Manchester United’s board has yet to make a final decision on Michael Carrick’s future after Sunday’s 4-4 draw with Aston Villa left the club 18th in the Premier League and with its worst start to a domestic season in 40 years.
The draw was Carrick’s third match since the board opted to give the 45-year-old more time to improve results following a 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth on Oct. 25. Board members felt Carrick and the players had earned a chance to show they could turn the season around. They also saw the two-week international break in November as an opportunity to reassess the situation in a calmer setting, and they are determined to use it that way.
The past three games have produced one win, one draw and one defeat, a mixed record that leaves the manager’s position open. Eight goals conceded and a slide into the relegation zone are obvious negatives. The board has also noted that United fought back from two-goal deficits three times across the past two matches, a sign that the players remain behind Carrick.
United’s hierarchy explored a change after the Bournemouth loss last month and considered former Newcastle manager Eddie Howe and former Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann. Carrick said after the Villa draw that he would not step down. Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox will have significant influence over whether the former Middlesbrough manager stays.
United’s first match after the break is at archrival Liverpool on Nov. 22. Carrick’s team sits 18th with one league win this season — the club’s lowest position after 10 matches since the 1986-87 campaign.
Five of United’s next seven league opponents are in the bottom half of the table. That group includes four of the other teams currently in the bottom five, among them Coventry, Nottingham Forest and Sunderland, all at Old Trafford.
Defensive record remains the central problem
Whether Carrick keeps his job or not, United will continue to struggle unless they stop conceding so regularly. Only Crystal Palace and Ipswich have allowed more than United’s 19 league goals. United have conceded 15 times in their past three matches in all competitions. Their only clean sheet this season came against Azerbaijani title winners Sabah FK in the Champions League.
Former United assistant manager Rene Meulensteen said every Premier League team, home or away, now believes it can open United up and score. “No matter what combination you find, it’s just not good enough,” Meulensteen said. He added that Carrick will be constantly puzzled about which back four to choose because there is no certainty United can keep a clean sheet.
Dalot faces crowd reaction
Fullback Diogo Dalot took the brunt of fan anger at Old Trafford on Sunday. Huge cheers greeted the display of his number to confirm he was being replaced, then turned to boos as he reached the dugout. Substitute Joshua Zirkzee, who received similar treatment when he was replaced after half an hour of a home defeat to Newcastle in December 2024, made a point of hugging Dalot as he returned to the bench.
Asked whether it was time to take Dalot out of the firing line, Carrick urged caution. “We’ve got to be careful with that,” he said. Carrick said he understood the frustration and disappointment of supporters and that the players were just as frustrated and disappointed. He said Dalot gives everything, has played different positions and has played really well at times. Carrick acknowledged that Dalot conceded a penalty and made a mistake, but said he likes what the defender brings to the team and that he cares a great deal.
The board’s review will now weigh the mixed results, the defensive collapses and the evidence that the squad is still playing for Carrick. The trip to Liverpool and the run of matches against lower-half opponents that follows are set to shape the decision.