Manchester United discuss Carrick dismissal after 3-0 Bournemouth defeat

Manchester United executives are considering dismissing Michael Carrick after Bournemouth won 3-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday 25 October. The expectation within the club is that the head coach will be sacked.

United are 16th in the Premier League, with one league victory this season. The Bournemouth result was their sixth defeat across 12 matches in all competitions.

Howe leads Wilcox’s preferences

Director of football Jason Wilcox favours Eddie Howe if United change head coach. The former Newcastle manager’s Premier League experience puts him ahead of other candidates in Wilcox’s assessment.

Unai Emery is also admired, but Aston Villa would seek about £20m in compensation. Bringing in Howe would cost less.

Christopher Vivell, United’s head of recruitment, rates Julian Nagelsmann highly. However, Wilcox’s preference may carry greater weight with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who controls the club’s football policy. Antonio Conte could also be considered.

Any dismissal announcement must follow notification to the New York Stock Exchange, which does not open at weekends. United followed that sequence when Ruben Amorim was dismissed in January: the decision came on a Sunday night and the announcement followed the next day.

Carrick says he expects to continue

Carrick said he was not expecting to lose his job. He told reporters: “I totally understand the situation”.

He also rejected the suggestion that his applause for home supporters after the match was a goodbye. “It wasn’t a farewell from me,” Carrick said.

Bruno Fernandes remained on the bench throughout the defeat. Before kick-off, Carrick said the captain’s omission was a football decision, rather than a response to his criticism of the tactics used in the Champions League loss at Como.

Harry Maguire, who captained United against Bournemouth, said the players were “fully behind” Carrick and argued that individuals needed to contribute more.