How Manchester United dressing room reacted to Michael Carrick sack decision
Michael Carrick is under serious pressure to keep his job at Manchester United - but appears to still have support from the players
A Manchester United player has lifted the lid on the dressing room reaction to Michael Carrick staying on as manager.
Carrick appeared on the brink of being dismissed following Sunday’s 3-0 loss at home to Bournemouth, which had come just days after a 4-1 defeat to Como in the Champions League.
However, Man Utd chiefs decided to give Carrick more time in his role, with the former midfielder set to take charge of the side for this weekend’s trip to Chelsea.
At full-time on Sunday after the Bournemouth game, Man Utd fans targeted their boos towards their players, rather than beleaguered manager Carrick.
It appears that a similar sentiment is shared by at least one player in the Man Utd dressing room.
Michael Carrick acknowledges fans at Old Trafford following Manchester United’s 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth at the weekend.
On Wednesday, Carrick and dissatisfied captain Bruno Fernandes held “clear-the-air talks” following the latter’s omission from the defeat to Bournemouth.
Fernandes had hit out at Carrick’s tactics following Man Utd’s 4-1 loss to Como in the Champions League, with his manager responding via the press - and by dropping his star midfielder for the Bournemouth clash.
The Portuguese is not the only player to have made inflammatory comments to the press in recent weeks. After another defeat in the Champions League to Atletico Madrid earlier this month, defender Lisandro Martinez criticised the club’s recruitment, mentioning technical director Jason Wilcox.
Unlike Fernandes, Martinez was not dropped for the next game, starting Man Utd’s 1-1 draw with Leeds before being forced off with injury at half-time.
Manchester United currently sit 16th in the table, following the club’s worst-ever start to a Premier League season.
Minority shareholder and boss of Manchester United’s footballing operations, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is flying into the UK to watch Saturday’s game at Stamford Bridge.