Carrick's Manchester United future in the balance after 4-1 Champions League collapse

Michael Carrick’s position as Manchester United manager is under serious threat after a 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como on Wednesday extended the club’s winless run to seven matches across all competitions.

According to The Guardian, director of football Jason Wilcox, chief executive Omar Berrada and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe are expected to hold talks about Carrick’s future before Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Bournemouth. The Telegraph has since reported that the Bournemouth match could prove decisive for the under-fire manager.

Carrick, who has won just two games this season, was said to be relaxed about his position ahead of the trip to Italy, and sources close to him suggest that has not changed. Club hierarchy, however, may see things differently.

The mood inside the dressing room also appears strained. United captain Bruno Fernandes offered a pointed assessment of the coaching staff’s approach in the defeat, telling reporters: “It’s a decision from the staff to not press man to man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball, but sometimes when you give too much the ball to these teams they get confidence.”

When asked directly whether Carrick had got his tactics wrong, Fernandes stopped short of a full public rebuke but added: “That’s on the manager and staff to see it, not me. Sometimes you have to be more brave under pressure, take the risk of pressing high and making them uncomfortable.”

Should United decide to make a change, several names have been linked with the vacancy. Julian Nagelsmann, Antonio Conte, Eddie Howe and Fabian Hurzeler have all been mentioned as potential candidates to take charge at Old Trafford.