Michael Carrick maintained that Manchester United remains manageable as he prepares to oversee what could be his final match in charge. The club faces Bournemouth at Old Trafford following a troubling start to the season that has prompted board-level discussions about the team’s direction and leadership.

Carrick, who assumed the managerial role in January after Ruben Amorim’s departure, is the club’s seventh permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired 13 years ago. The period has been marked by instability and a succession of short-term appointments. When asked if the squad had become unmanageable, Carrick responded firmly in the negative.

However, Carrick’s position is under pressure after Wednesday’s 4-1 defeat to Como in the Champions League, a result that deepened existing tensions within the team. The loss featured visible signs of discord, including public questioning of Carrick’s tactics by captain Bruno Fernandes. Fernandes’s comments have placed his captaincy under threat, according to sources close to the club. This development comes shortly after defender Lisandro Martínez publicly criticised United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, and members of the Old Trafford board, highlighting internal unrest.

Despite the turmoil, Carrick has expressed confidence in the players who largely contributed to the club’s third-place finish in the Premier League last season and their return to Champions League competition. “I definitely trust them, yeah, 100 percent I trust them,” Carrick said. He acknowledged that the performance in Como was poor but emphasised that tactical systems are secondary to player effort. “Whatever system you play, whatever tactics you play, if you don’t run, and you don’t run forward, and you don’t run back, you ain’t going to win,” he stated.

Looking ahead to Sunday’s match, Carrick insisted on the need for immediate improvement, signalling that a different approach and response from the players is essential. “We’ll be a different team on Sunday – we have to be a different team on Sunday,” he said, underscoring the urgency for change amid a run of just two wins in 11 games this season.

As Manchester United seeks to halt its slide, the outcome of the Bournemouth game could prove decisive for Carrick’s tenure. The club’s hierarchy appears poised to take further action if results and performances do not improve quickly.