The key facts

  • Manchester United have not won for seven matches in a row after the 1:4 defeat to Champions League debutants Como
  • Carrick called the performance 'absolutely unacceptable' and said the team 'has gone slightly off track'
  • Fernandes publicly criticized the coach's tactics, while Martínez earlier criticized the board's transfer policy

Carrick promises to fix the situation

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick said at a pre-match press conference on Friday that he is 'fully confident' in his ability to stop the team's crisis slump. At the same time, he dodged the question of whether Bruno Fernandes will remain the club's captain. 'The most important thing for me is the team, the squad, the dynamics within the squad. I always do what is best for the club,' Carrick said.

The rout by Como and the winless run

The reason for the criticism was the 1:4 defeat to Champions League debutants Como on Wednesday, after which United's winless run stretched to seven matches. Carrick called that match 'absolutely unacceptable' and admitted the defeat hurt him. In his words, fans spend money and effort to come to the games, and the team must show an identity to be proud of.

Worst start of the Premier League era

United have made the worst start of the Premier League era, were knocked out of the League Cup by Brighton and lost two of their first three Champions League matches. Of 11 matches in all competitions this season, the team has won only twice — against Premier League newcomers Ipswich and Azerbaijani Sabah. Carrick's position is under threat ahead of Sunday's home match against Bournemouth.

Conflicts within the team

After the defeat to Como, Fernandes publicly questioned Carrick's tactics, calling them too passive. This came just over a week after defender Lisandro Martínez criticized the club's leadership for insufficient investment in the transfer market.

Context: a years-long decline

Carrick is yet another coach who has failed to fix the affairs of the 20-time English champions since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure in 2013: since then the club has won neither the Premier League nor the Champions League — 13 years now. Appointed in January on a short-term contract, Carrick led the team into the Champions League for the first time in three years by finishing third in the Premier League, and five months ago he received a permanent contract. 'We had five months of relative success, but recently we have not been performing well enough,' the coach admitted.