Manchester United are conducting an internal review to decide the future of head coach Michael Carrick, with director of football Jason Wilcox spearheading the assessment. Following a period where Carrick was tasked with improving results across matches against Chelsea, Roma, and Aston Villa, Wilcox is now consulting with chief executive Omar Berrada to form a recommendation for sporting lead Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
United are currently languishing in the Premier League relegation zone, having secured only three wins in their last 15 competitive fixtures. Pressure on Carrick mounted following a 3-0 loss to Bournemouth on October 25. While he narrowly avoided immediate dismissal, Wilcox and Berrada granted him a three-match window leading into the international break to demonstrate his ability to turn the team’s form around. But after Wilcox and Berrada met the following day at the training ground to discuss his position, Carrick was given the three games until the international break to prove he and the players could reverse a dismal start.
Recent performances have remained inconsistent. After falling 2-0 to Chelsea, United rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat Roma 3-2 at Old Trafford. This was followed by a dramatic 4-4 draw against Aston Villa on Sunday, where late goals from Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu snatched a point after the team trailed 4-2 entering stoppage time. Despite Carrick’s calls for momentum after the Roma victory, the side continues to struggle with early lapses; they trailed Villa by two goals within four minutes, mirroring similar issues seen in recent defeats to Como and Atlético Madrid. In the Roma victory they were 2-0 behind in a poor opening 45 minutes before three goals in a rousing second one. At Chelsea, Carrick’s side impressed in the first half but failed to convert chances before conceding twice after the interval, the second from a penalty after Lisandro Martínez was sent off. In the 4-1 defeat at Como last month, Nico Paz scored after two minutes. This followed Pablo Barrios’s opener one minute into the 2-0 defeat at Atlético Madrid the previous week.
Reports suggest there are no current plans to reinforce the existing coaching staff to assist Carrick. Should the club proceed with a coaching change, former Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is considered the primary candidate preferred by Wilcox, and he would be open to the role despite currently taking a break from football.
