Premier League reaction as Manchester United lose 3-0 to Bournemouth
It's a defeat that leaves manager Michael Carrick's future in serious doubt
Man Utd have suffered a torrid few weeks, with heavy defeats and players criticising the club and tactics in the media
Many fans directed a lot of their frustrations at the players and those running the club, rather than at Carrick
But there are now serious talks about Carrick's future after eight games without a win and their worst run since 2015-16. "The end is approaching," writes Simon Stone.
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As a club United are finished until the Glazers are gone. As a fan we should all boycott home games, but this won’t happen because there are too many tourist fans. Carrick is not to blame and if he is sacked and another manager comes in nothing will change.
Stuart B
Man Utd 0-3 Bournemouth
It's what appears to be the age old question... who is to blame at Manchester United?
Michael Carrick is the first person blame is apportioned to, but after an assembly line of high-profile appointments and dismissals since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure, surely it is time to look beyond the dugout?
Recruitment is one area under scrutiny. United strengthened their midfield over the summer, bringing in Youri Tielemans (£35m), Andrey Santos (£48m) and Carlos Baleba (£70m), but missed out on targets like Mateus Fernandes (£85m) and Sandro Tonali (£100m), who both went to Tottenham instead - for huge sums.
Were their transfer fees more than United were willing or able to pay?
Questions also remain over defensive depth and the lack of a back-up striker.
The club's leadership has faced criticism too. Sir Jim Ratcliffe admitted mistakes over the handling of Erik ten Hag, while the sudden departure of sporting director Dan Ashworth after just five months raised questions about decision-making behind the scenes.
Now, with results deteriorating again under Michael Carrick, the same questions are coming up again.
Carrick must take responsibility for performances on the pitch, but if United keep changing managers without addressing recruitment, leadership and the future, are they really solving their problems? Or simply finding someone new to blame?
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We all know deep down what the biggest problem at Utd is a massive lack of investment and seriously bad choices made by the supposed people that run this club. I've been watching this team since I was 14 and now at 72 I have never been so disappointed!
Kenneth, St Agnes
BBC Radio 5 Live
The first hour of Nicky Campbell's 5 Live phone-in this morning is all about Manchester United.
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There is definitely an issue in the background. Is Wilcox sticking his nose in with transfers and tactics? It's about time someone like him or Omar Berrada stopped hiding behind the manager & players and faced the media and explained what is going on and what the 'plan' is.
Ian, Lincoln
Wouldn't it be refreshing if United's board finally held the architects of this mess accountable and sacked Jason Wilcox instead of Carrick? Why is it always the manager who pays the price while those making the football decisions survive?
Dave, Stockport
Man Utd 0-3 Bournemouth
Reading between the lines there, I think Steven was making a reference to Manchester United's transfer activity in the summer.
It's a topic that Lisandro Martinez spoke out about following the club's recent defeat at Atletico Madrid, when he said Michael Carrick had been let down by a lack of quality signings and pointed the finger of blame at director of football Jason Wilcox...
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I hope Carrick resigns. He looks drained. Fighting for a club that isn't willing to fight for him. He has been let down in the summer. What he was given was like giving a chef a welly instead of a knife and asking him to prepare a meal.
Steven, Matlock
Man Utd 0-3 Bournemouth
Image source, Getty ImagesJamie Carragher believed that Michael Carrick should have been relieved of his duties on Sunday night, after his Manchester United side fell to a 3-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth.
The former Liverpool defender told Sky Sports: "Manchester United need to make that [managerial] change tonight, they need to make that decision. The fans have taken the side of Michael Carrick and it's not about him being the manager, it's about him being a huge figure in United's history.
"Those players have done nothing compared to teams of the past, so Michael Carrick is always going to win that fight with Bruno Fernandes, and rightly so, no matter how talented a player he is.
"But also, Manchester United as a football club, one of the biggest in the world, are 16th in the Premier League right now and that can't continue.
"Michael Carrick needs to be relieved of his duties tonight - not just for the good of Manchester United, but also for the good of Michael Carrick.
"It's not nice watching him walking around the stadium at the end, he's really hurting and what's happening right now is not good for United and not good for Carrick."
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Man Utd 0-3 Bournemouth
The season started badly for Manchester United, with the tone set by a humiliating 2-0 loss at Premier League new boys Hull City on the opening weekend.
They went behind in their next match, at home to another promoted side Ipswich Town, but fought back to register a 5-2 victory.
United have since gone on a winless run of six league matches, including a 1-0 derby defeat at home to a Manchester City side that played almost 70 minutes with 10 men.
Michael Carrick's side have also dropped points from winning positions against Everton, Fulham, Tottenham and Leeds.
And a dismal 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday could well prove to be his final game as United manager. But does Carrick deserve to pay the price?
United's results in the Premier League this season:
Man Utd 0-3 Bournemouth
Image source, Getty ImagesMichael Carrick signed a two-year contract at Old Trafford in the summer after initially being appointed as interim head coach in January, following the sacking of previous Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim.
He oversaw a dramatic improvement in results, eventually leading United to a third-place finish in the Premier League, guaranteeing a return to Champions League football this season.
But his position has been undermined by a series of poor results this season and public outbursts from key players - centre-back Lisandro Martinez and captain Bruno Fernandes.
Fernandes was dropped on Sunday after criticising Carrick's tactics in Wednesday's 4-0 Champions League defeat at debutants Como.
But that did not spark United into life, quite the opposite, as they slumped to a 3-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth and dropped to 16th place in the Premier League, with just one win and seven points from their opening eight games.
United are also out of the League Cup and are down in 21st place in the Champions League, following that hammering in midweek.
Man Utd 0-3 Bournemouth
Carrick 'saddened' by Man Utd situation after Bournemouth loss
Man Utd 0-3 Bournemouth
Simon Stone
BBC Sport Chief Football News Reporter at Old Trafford
Image source, Getty ImagesThere was an air of inevitability about Michael Carrick's walk around Old Trafford after the 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth.
It is not unusual for Carrick to applaud the Manchester United fans. If anything, his acknowledgements were not as pronounced as they were in Como after the equally devastating loss.
But after eight games without a win, the worst run since 2015-16 and two horrific defeats in a week, the end is approaching for Carrick, with his bosses in serious talks about his future.
However, if anyone in a senior position at the club thinks the issues at Old Trafford will be solved simply by changing the head coach and, more importantly, the fans will be appeased by a new face in the dugout, the reaction from the stands on an awful day on and off the pitch would have very clearly told them otherwise.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty ImagesMan Utd 0-3 Bournemouth
Alex Brotherton
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesThe pressure on Manchester United manager Michael Carrick was upped a further notch by another insipid performance as they slumped to a 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth.
The Cherries were superb throughout and thoroughly deserving of their victory, which extended United's winless run to eight games.
The visitors, who were 2-0 up by half-time, took the lead when a superb Justin Kluivert free-kick found an unmarked Rayan at the back post and he beat Senne Lammens with a well-taken volley.
United's woes were compounded two minutes before the break when an untimely Leny Yoro slip allowed Adrien Truffert to square for Marcus Tavernier to convert into the empty net.
Boos greeted the half-time whistle, though some home fans did their best to encourage their players as they trudged down the tunnel.
After further chances at the start of the second half, Evanilson eventually knocked in the third after more comedy defending from United. The Brazilian striker raced on to a long clearance and nipped the ball past Lammens, who had come charging out of his penalty area, before curling it into an empty net.
Bournemouth's fourth consecutive win in all competitions left United 16th in the table with seven points after eight Premier League games, while the Cherries climb to 13th.
Man Utd 0-3 Bournemouth
Highlights: Pressure grows on Carrick as Man United lose at home to Bournemouth
If you hadn't already seen the highlights and didn't know the score, then one look at Michael Carrick's picture above would give you a sense of how bad it was.
As brilliant as Bournemouth were, Manchester United were shocking.
Pundits put it bluntly - it looked like the United players had "downed tools".
Check out the highlights above if you haven't already seen them...
We've been here before, haven't we?
Manager comes in, has a positive effect, performances seem promising, then levels dip, unrest in the camp, cracks develop between players, management and hierarchy, manager gets the sack, players and hierarchy get the blame, new manager comes in, has a positive effect...
Wash, repeat.
How do Manchester United break the cycle?
Should Michael Carrick be sacrificed, as expected? Or is there another way?
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