What Next for Spiky Michael Carrick As Man Utd ‘Assess’ the Wreckage

When presented with the assumption that there would be discussions with Manchester United’s hierarchy over this month’s international break, Michael Carrick snapped: “Will there?”

The spiky United boss took a contrarian view on Sunday’s chaotic 4–4 draw with Aston Villa, insisting that “a lot of the performances were very good” and his side “could have even won it” despite snatching a draw from the jaws of defeat with two goals in stoppage time.

After a 3–0 loss to Bournemouth in United’s last Premier League home game, Carrick had been given a stay of execution until at least the international break. The Red Devils promptly imploded against Chelsea, came back to defeat Roma in midweek before the thriller with Villa.

Faced with the club’s worst start in 40 years and a spot inside the relegation zone for the next two weeks (at least), Sky Sports reporter Patrick Davison was hardly going off track with the claim that Carrick’s future may be a topic of dialogue among the club’s higher ups. Yet, the manager didn’t agree.

“You’re telling me,” Carrick sniffed. “I’m quite clear with what direction the club needs to go in, and it’s got to win games. We haven’t won enough games, but I expect to move forward and keep working on the things that we’ve been working on and showing a lot of the good in the game today, tighten up on a few mistakes and win football matches.”

Carrick may be clear over his next steps but United are said to be “assessing” their options, according to The Overlap.

In the same spiky interview, Carrick was asked if he was considering taking his future into his own hands by stepping down. “I’m not,” he curtly shot back.

This is the epitome of management for Carrick. The Manchester United convert after 12 years as a player has his son in the club’s academy and clearly relishes the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Sir Alex Ferguson, who he still regularly calls. Former United midfielder Nicky Butt claimed that Carrick had sworn off management, with the only exception the club that he held above all others.

Even before the club’s winless streak was snapped in midweek, Carrick still came into that clash with Roma “really looking forward” to the challenge that lay ahead of him.

The adopted Manchester United fan is not going to jump, but it remains to be seen if he will be pushed.

Manchester United’s chief executive Omar Berrada delivered one of the loudest roars to greet Patrick Dorgu’s unlikely 96th-minute winner, leaping off his seat next to sporting director Jason Wilcox with a strangled shout of relief. The two scrutinized figures will be tasked with advising co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe whether it’s time to go on the hunt for a fourth permanent manager in two years.

Mike Keegan of The Overlap reports that the sequence of results and performances Carrick has inspired during his three-game stay of execution has ensured that “questions remain.”

One thing working in United’s favor is that the compensation owed to Newcastle United to acquire the services of their former manager Eddie Howe decreases each week, so by holding out until the international break this penny-pinching operation have saved themselves at least some of the expense he will inspire.

The character of United’s players to fight back from a two-goal deficit three times across two games in the same week would suggest that the locker room hasn’t yet turned on their leader. How sustainable these performances are going forward is another matter.

“There’s only so many times you can do that because it’s quite tiring, physically and mentally,” former Manchester United striker Dion Dublin warned this weekend. “The players today were walking around after the game like they had lost, even though they got a point.”

Despite salvaging a point, United’s players universally conducted their postmatch media duties with a haunted look. “So tired and so disappointed,” a hollow Matheus Cunha told Sky Sports as he sheepishly accepted the Player of the Match trophy.

Rather than dwell on the future of his manager, the Brazilian striker turned the spotlight on his squad. “We need to look inside. The players, the staff, everyone. It’s a huge club and to feel something like this is not normal.”

Dorgu echoed that sentiment. “Everyone needs to look at themselves and ask if we are doing enough,” he fretted. “We need to fight for the coach, fight for the club. We are in this together.”

Together, but for how much longer?