Maguire admits United players have let Carrick down after second heavy defeat in a week

Harry Maguire publicly blamed Manchester United’s players for the club’s dire start to the season after a 3-0 defeat at Bournemouth on Sunday left interim manager Michael Carrick on the brink of losing his job. The result was United’s second heavy loss in the space of a week, following an embarrassing Champions League defeat to Como that had already cast serious doubt over Carrick’s future.

Speaking after the final whistle, Maguire was unflinching in his assessment. “At the moment we’re not doing enough as players,” the defender said. “Michael turned our season on its head last year and we played brilliant football and got brilliant results. This season we haven’t performed well enough as individuals.”

United have won just two of their 12 games across all competitions this season — a stark contrast to Carrick’s interim spell last term, during which he accumulated more points per game than any other manager in the top flight. The Bournemouth defeat, in which United conceded from a set piece inside the opening minutes before a defensive error gifted the hosts a second, underlined the fragility that has defined their campaign.

Maguire acknowledged the manner of the performance made it impossible to argue for a positive result. “We didn’t perform well enough as individuals or as a team and we didn’t deserve anything from the game,” he said. “It’s not clicking at the moment. Results are not good enough, and performances in the last week are not good enough.”

When pressed on whether there would be frank conversations among the playing group, Maguire was guarded but pointed. “If those conversations happen it will remain private. We want to do more, be better and get better results. At the moment it’s nowhere near good enough and something needs to change.”

Carrick’s position now appears untenable. The United board face a decision over whether to act swiftly or give the manager time to arrest a slide that has left the club in serious trouble early in the season.