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There’s plenty of blame to go around at Old Trafford. Like all downfalls it started with a seemingly small, unconnected moment Sign up for our free newsletter here And so here we are again, at that point as the nights draw in and Manchester United prepare to sack a manager . Autumn: season of mists, mellow fruitfulness and a crisis at Old Trafford. Sunday’s 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth , coming on the back of last week’s 4-1 reverse against Como, made clear what many had feared from the moment Michael Carrick was given the job on a permanent basis: that he isn’t up to it. But then, who could be? When you’ve burned through a long list of managers in 13 years, it’s perhaps worth considering whether the manager is really the problem. Could some blame perhaps go to the director of football, Jason Wilcox, or the chief executive, Omar Berrada, the people making the appointments? Or perhaps to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the cost-cutting tax exile and minority shareholder with responsibility for sporting operations? Or to the Glazer family, who plunged the club into debt with a leveraged buyout in 2005 and have since made calamitous decision after calamitous decision, reducing the most successful club in English league history to a mid-table laughing stock with a roof that leaks symbolically ? This is an extract from Soccer Desk, a newsletter from the Guardian US. Subscribe for free here . Continue reading...

Midfielder Bruno Fernandes was benched by Michael Carrick for Manchester United's latest defeat to Bournemouth.

Bournemouth’s transfer nous puts United to shame, Araújo is winning admirers at Anfield and Suzuki adapts swiftly at Villa The three Bournemouth goalscorers cost a combined £85m, joining from Vasco da Gama, Middlesbrough, and Porto. The Cherries are smart at investing, far more so than Manchester United, who have wasted a lot of money by failing to look outside the box for players like Rayan, Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson. United may not have the wealth they previously showed in the transfer market but Bournemouth are showing what can be done within a budget and, more importantly, will be able to make a profit on signings. United, however, only know losses as everyone’s price tag diminishes the moment they come through the Old Trafford door. Jason Wilcox and others can point to certain factors that are against them but there are quality signings to be made at the right price if you have the ability to find them. Will Unwin Match report: Manchester United 0-3 Bournemouth Will Unwin: Carrick left carrying can for institutional failings Match report: Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester City Match report: Liverpool 2-0 Brighton Match report: Chelsea 0-2 Tottenham Barney Ronay: Glitch in Chelsea’s coding costs Alonso while resurgent Spurs are all systems go Continue reading...

Job in balance after 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth Howe is director of football Jason Wilcox’s top candidate Manchester United’s hierarchy are in crisis talks over whether or not to sack Michael Carrick as head coach after he oversaw another torrid defeat , against Bournemouth at Old ­Trafford on Sunday, that left his job in the balance. Carrick was defiant after the 3-0 humbling, insisting he was not expecting to be removed from his post. “I totally understand the situation,” Carrick said of his job prospects. “I’m not expecting anything in ­particular, to be honest. Carrying on as normal and I love this place.” Continue reading...

Leaving out his captain was doomed to fail but so are the club under the current leadership and the fans at Old Trafford know that all too well Dropping your captain, who has held the team together for most of the past five years, is a bold move from a man whose job is on the line. It was very much a make-or-break decision from Michael Carrick to leave out Bruno Fernandes against Bournemouth. It did not work and Carrick knew the consequences if it failed and will probably pay the price for it, but he should not be alone. Carrick said the decision to drop the Portuguese playmaker was purely based on football reasons but criticising his manager after the desperate defeat to Como cannot have helped. Clearly Carrick disagreed with his captain’s comments on the lack of pressing in the Champions League fixture. It was somewhat telling that Lisandro Martínez kept his place despite pointing out the director of football, Jason Wilcox, was a hindrance to the club the previous week. Continue reading...

After Bruno Fernandes was dropped for “pure football” reasons – according to Michael Carrick – could ­Manchester United actually win a game of football? The answer, again, was a resounding, humiliating no, and if the manager’s job remains in real peril, you have to wonder, too, if this beleaguered team should steel itself for a relegation dogfight. They lack imagination, cohesion, fight, confidence and anything resembling joy, and so now hovering a point above the drop zone, survival cannot be taken for granted. Continue reading...

⚽️ Premier League updates from 2pm GMT ⚽️ Live scoreboard | Send Daniel an email Daniel Otherwise, Carrick goes for ballast in the midfield, with Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba, which makes sense, but in front of him, there’s a palpable lack of magic. Matheus Cunha, hooked at half-time in Como, drops out, with Amad one of the least dreadful when he came on, coming in on the right. His numbers tell us he’s not the standard required, but he offers good out-of-possession work and gives the team balance, such as it is, the only dribbles in a team severely lacking one v one ability. Otherwise, Mason Mount, every manager’s favourite, is relocated to the left, while Bryan Mbeumo continues up front in the absence of Benjamin Sesko – which tells us plenty about what Carrick thinks of Joshua Zirkzee, despite his goal in midweek. Continue reading...

⚽️ News before the 2pm GMT Premier League fixtures ⚽️ How they stand | Fixtures | Mail John Aintree Racecourse has confirmed today’s race meeting has been cancelled due to high winds. Will that mean Liverpool v Brighton is called off? The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for wind in Liverpool and Merseyside due to Storm Boelo, which remains active through today until 9:00 PM on Sunday, October 25, 2026 Continue reading...

Howe would seriously consider job if offered it Head of recruitment Vivell prefers Julian Nagelsmann Eddie Howe is the current preferred candidate of Jason Wilcox to replace Michael Carrick should Manchester United decide to change manager, with the director of football believing Howe’s extensive Premier League experience places him ahead of other potential targets. Howe left Newcastle in late July to take a break from the game but would seriously consider a return for the United role, it is understood, should this be offered. Continue reading...

This was a momentous night in Bournemouth’s history, although the truth is they would have been given a far sterner examination by Coventry or Hull. You can only beat what lies in front of you and Marco Rose’s players never relinquished control against a rotten impersonation of a Milan side. The visitors resembled holograms even before Mike Maignan, their goalkeeper, rendered their task impossible with a deserved sending-off in the first half. By then Justin Kluivert had given Bournemouth the lead with a penalty and it was another spot-kick from Marcus Tavernier, given after Maignan’s rush of blood, that underlined their overwhelming superiority. Amine Adli applied the garnish with a late free-kick and it meant an abject return to British shores for Ruben Amorim, who would have been excused seeing this particular week as the opportunity to make a point. On this evidence Manchester United, to whom Bournemouth travel on Sunday, share more than a few similarities with the modern version of Milan. Continue reading...

With Michael Carrick’s future at Old Trafford a matter of some debate, we examine the credentials of those who could succeed him The German was of interest to Manchester City while Omar Berrada was part of the hierarchy on the other side of town. He is highly thought of and would come with an impressive CV for a 39-year-old, having taken charge of Bayern Munich and Germany. Nagelsmann is regarded as an innovator who is very demanding of his players and builds teams to press relentlessly, a concept not currently used at United, as Bruno Fernandes will testify . His spell with Germany was underwhelming, concluding with a 2026 World Cup last-32 defeat by Paraguay , and at Bayern – with an exceptional squad – he won the Bundesliga in his only full season and was sacked the following March with the team second and still in the Champions League. Continue reading...

Carrick expected to be in charge for Bournemouth game Compensation could be obstacle for Aston Villa’s Emery Unai Emery and Julian Nagelsmann have emerged as leading targets to replace Michael Carrick as Manchester United’s head coach should the board decide on a change after the club’s poorest start to the season since 1986. Carrick is expected to remain in place for Sunday’s visit of Bournemouth – he is due to hold his pre-game media conference on Friday – but the 45-year-old’s job is in the balance after two wins from 11 games this season. Continue reading...

Manager apologises to fans after 4-1 defeat in Como Captain criticises ‘decision from the staff’ not to press Michael Carrick’s future as Manchester United manager is in the balance after a humiliating 4-1 Champions League defeat by Como on Wednesday night. Before Bournemouth’s visit to Old Trafford on Sunday his future may be discussed by Jason Wilcox, the director of football, Omar Berrada, the chief executive, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the co-owner who controls sporting policy. Continue reading...

Ten Hag says Ronaldo did not complete post-match run Former manager claims club broke promises made to him Erik ten Hag has claimed Cristiano Ronaldo “let the team down” during their time together at Manchester United. Ten Hag has also alleged that promises made by United’s owners went unfulfilled, leading to his sacking by the club in October 2024 . Ronaldo returned for a second spell at United in August 2021 and was already at the club when Ten Hag was appointed in April 2022 as Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s successor . The relationship between the pair quickly broke down, however, with Ronaldo refusing to come on as a substitute in a win against Tottenham in October 2022 before he then publicly criticised the club in a TV interview . The forward’s contract was mutually terminated the following month. Continue reading...