Carrick vows to fight on at Manchester United despite nine-game winless run

Michael Carrick has declared he expects to still be in charge of Manchester United when they host Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday, despite a third straight defeat leaving the club nine games without a win.

United fell apart in the second half at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, conceding after Morgan Rogers scored a stunning goal and Lisandro Martinez was sent off to compound their misery. The result extended a winless run that began to look critical after last weekend’s 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth.

Asked directly whether he believed he would be in the dugout against Roma, Carrick gave a single-word answer: “Yes.” The former midfielder had been backed by United’s hierarchy earlier in the week and said he was “not surprised” to be given the Chelsea fixture after holding talks with the club’s leadership.

Carrick had restored captain Bruno Fernandes to the starting lineup following criticism of his tactics, and United were the better side in the first half. Fernandes and Amad Diallo both spurned chances that could have put the visitors ahead.

“Half-time we could have and should have been up,” Carrick admitted. “Everything was positive as we hoped for. We could have made more chances. We looked in a good place and then found a way of unravelling the second half.”

Carrick declined to criticise Martinez directly for the red card, but acknowledged the moment proved decisive. “A bad way to concede, penalty, and then we were right up against it at that moment. It turned right on its head. There is no hiding from the fact that we haven’t won enough games.”

The United manager was applauded by the travelling supporters at Stamford Bridge, though some boos were directed at the players as they acknowledged the away end at full time.

“There is a lot of emotion,” Carrick said. “We’re a great football club, and we want to win football matches. The supporters come, make a lot of effort, pay a lot of money to watch us play. Things have gone against us and gone against us in a big way. Unravelled quickly.”

United face Roma — currently unbeaten in Serie A — at Old Trafford on Tuesday before a home Premier League fixture against Aston Villa on Sunday, the last match before the international break.