Tielemans urges United to avoid further upheaval as Carrick fights to save his job

Youri Tielemans has publicly backed Michael Carrick to keep his job at Manchester United, warning that another managerial change would only deepen the club’s turbulent start to the season.

Carrick came close to the sack this week following heavy defeats to Como and Bournemouth, with United chiefs holding crisis talks on Monday. By Tuesday, it emerged the head coach had been handed a reprieve — though how long he has to prove himself remains unclear.

Tielemans, who joined United from Aston Villa in the summer after the club activated his £35m release clause, said Carrick’s desire to bring him to Old Trafford made him personally invested in the manager’s survival.

“I came here partly because of him, because he wanted me here,” the Belgium international said. “He wanted me to help the team out. So I’m very happy for him to stay, and the whole group, we don’t want a sudden change. We don’t want a big change that is going to disrupt things more than they are. We just need stability, we need to keep working hard, and it’s going to turn at some point.”

Tielemans also praised Carrick’s work on the training ground, saying the squad felt settled in the system the head coach had put in place despite the poor results.

“Since I’ve come in, he’s always done his work,” Tielemans added. “He’s tried to put a system in place that we all feel comfortable in. I can only speak positively about him, and everyone in the changing room would do the same. We all just need to stick together and turn this situation around.”

The midfielder was also asked about Bruno Fernandes’ widely reported criticism of United’s tactics following the 4-1 defeat to Como last week. Tielemans declined to engage directly with the captain’s comments but suggested the outburst reflected genuine passion rather than division.

“Everyone is like they are. It’s just a case of trying to do that in the right tone, the right moment,” he said. “There has been a lot of talk about it, so I’m not going to go into this much further. But it shows that everyone cares. We all want to turn these things around.”

Tielemans acknowledged that frustration was inevitable given United’s form but stressed the importance of keeping internal tensions within the group. “We’re all winners, and when frustration builds up, you might have different words and different opinions, which is totally normal. As long as it stays in the group, that’s the best part.”