Carrick gets Bournemouth, for now
Michael Carrick is still in the job. He will be in the Old Trafford dugout when United host Marco Rose's Bournemouth on Sunday (2) (13) (14). ESPN reported the decision after United's 4–1 Champions League collapse at Como on Wednesday (2).
That is the whole of the guarantee. United are 13th on 7 points from 7 games, winless in seven and two points off the bottom three (12) (9). Nothing about Sunday is settled.
Conte was already on the phone
United held talks with Antonio Conte late on Wednesday evening, after Como (1) (6). Conte opened up about returning to the Premier League but set specific conditions on transfers and staff (1).
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A conversation, not a handshake. But your manager has a replacement being interviewed while he is still picking the team.
The board cannot agree on who comes next
Jason Wilcox is leaning towards Eddie Howe (7) (6). Christopher Vivell is pushing Julian Nagelsmann (6) (13). Unai Emery and Fabian Hürzeler are also in the frame (13) (6).
Wilcox once opposed Howe when Dan Ashworth wanted him at Newcastle (5). He wants him now.
Vivell feels he is being marginalised, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe siding with Wilcox (15) (1) (5).
Bruno keeps the armband and takes no punishment
Bruno Fernandes will not be disciplined and stays captain after calling out the staff's tactics post-Como (4) (3) (6). He said the decision not to press man to man was "a decision from the staff" (11) (10).
His second interview went further. "At this club, we focus too much on what was achieved in the past, but we are no longer the same" (3).
Tielemans does not agree with him
Youri Tielemans' account of what went wrong at Como contradicts Fernandes' version (10). The dressing room is not standing behind its captain on this one.
Rooney has had enough
Wayne Rooney called the current squad "selfish" and said they behave "like children" after Fernandes' outburst (11). United's record scorer, turning on the team on the record.
De Ligt's return was a nightmare
De Ligt made his first start in 326 days against Como and was overrun (8). A defender back from nearly a year out, thrown into that defence, on that night.
Carrick's own words on the problem
"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" (6) (9).
Balde could be available in January
Alejandro Balde is open to leaving Barcelona in January and United are a possible destination (16). He played 12 minutes this season after three months of saying Barcelona was his home (16). Aston Villa, Benfica, Liverpool, Chelsea and AC Milan are also mentioned (16).
Fan reactions
The mood on r/soccer is grim and getting sarcastic. One thread has United's in-fighting spilling over into an off-camera row between Michael Carrick and Matheus Cunha, and another is delighting in Bournemouth fans chanting about Ruben Amorim, whose United side lost 3–0 to them in December 2024 (fan posts). Gallows humour is about all that's left. Carrick and Cunha row
