Michael Carrick is likely at the end of the road in his Manchester United tenure.
A 4-1 defeat at Como in Champions League play not only proved the latest dire result in a long string of negative scorelines this season, but it sullied the club's legendary name and history in Europe's top competition.
The result has put his position as manager in a very precarious position, and it's hard to envision a way in which United continue with the status quo for much longer. The 45-year-old former United midfielder seemed to know it too, as he held up his hands apologetically to the Red Devil supporters at the away end on the banks of Lake Como after the full-time whistle on Wednesday.
So, what went wrong for Carrick this season after everything seemed in order during his interim tenure through the second half of the previous campaign?
MORE: Man United set dubious European record in embarrassing Como defeat
Carrick apologises to the United fans #mufc https://t.co/xwBTz2SIpA
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) October 21, 2026What went wrong for Michael Carrick at Man United?
Passive tactics
First and foremost, Michael Carrick's tactics in the 2026/27 season have been incredibly passive, a noticeable shift from his time as interim manager last season.
Last season, according to analytics website MarkStats, Man United had the sixth-best mark (80.4%) in the Premier League for opponent buildup pass completion percentage outside of the final third, putting their opponents under pressure and making it difficult for them to build up into the attacking phase of play. It's hard to differentiate how much of that was credited to the first half when Ruben Amorim was in charge, but the number is good enough that a half-season of blatantly passive season clearly has not soiled it much.
This season, the number is 83.1%. On its own, that's not too bad, even if it drops Man United to 14th-best in the Premier League in that category, explaining how they allow opponents to come at them willingly, but it's only half the story — United don't get turnovers in their own defensive zone either.
Man United are generating just 16.7 opposition turnovers in the attacking third per match, meaning they don't pressure their opponents in the danger zone either. That number is not just third-worst in the Premier League, it's ninth-worst in all of the big 5 European leagues.
United simply do not challenge opposition possession. They don't challenge opponent buildup, and they win the ball back, whether it be in midfield, high up the pitch, or deep in their own third.
Leaky defensive record
There's no hiding from the abysmal defensive record Man United have shown this season.
They have kept just one clean sheet all year, coming against Azerbaijani minnows Sabah in their Champions League opener. They h ave shipped 10 goals in seven Premier League matches so far without a single clean sheet, and they have conceded two or more goals on six occasions across all competitions.
Woeful squad depth
While Michael Carrick deserves much of the blame, so too does the Man United executive structure that has left the Red Devils with very little to work with.
Sure, there are injuries. Manuel Ugarte is out for an extended period of time with an ACL tear, while Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw, Ayden Heaven, Patrick Dorgu, and Lisandro Martinez all missed the Como match due to various fitness issues, and Benjamin Sesko was just shelved for months with a new injury himself.
But here is the bench for the Como match: Karl Darlow, Tom Heaton, Daniel Armer, Jayden Kamason, Jack Fletcher, Tyler Fletcher, and Tynan Thompson all failed to enter the game, while Carlos Baleba, Amad Diallo, Joshua Zirkzee, Harry Amass, and Shea Lacey came onto the pitch at some stage.
That's just untenable for a top Premier League club with Champions League ambitions. New summer signings Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans started the game, but neither was overly impressive, and Tielemans in particular has taken flak for poor performances this season.
There's only a few managers in the world who could make the most of a squad of this level. Carrick managed it last season, but that was with only one league game per week after they were eliminated or failed to qualify from all other competitions early on. Now, at the beginning of a new season with European football added into the mix, the boss was up against the wall from the start.
Next Man United manager: Who will replace Michael Carrick?
If Michael Carrick is indeed sacked soon, either in the aftermath of the Como defeat or after their next Premier League games against Bournemouth and Chelsea, which also have the potential to go sideways, there are a few names which have been floated to come in and do a job.
The most obvious choice would be Eddie Howe, who is currently out of a job after leaving Newcastle in the summer, but there has not been any established reporting to indicate that Howe indeed would take the job.
Others who are not currently managing and could be options include Antonio Conte, Julian Nagelsmann, and Kieran McKenna, although each come with inherent risks. Conte has previously managed in the Premier League but ran out of steam, leaving Tottenham abruptly amidst reports that he was homesick and wished to return to Italy. Nagelsmann has never managed outside of Germany and was dismissed by the national team after a poor World Cup this past summer, and McKenna has only ever managed Ipswich Town and would be in his first career job at a big club.
Gareth Southgate has indicated recently he does not wish to return to club football, and Fabian Hurzeler would be tough to rip from Brighton midseason amidst a strong start to the 2026/27 campaign.
