Will Manchester United sack manager Michael Carrick over poor start?

Will Manchester United higher-ups fire manager Michael Carrick after the Red Devils failed to win the derby at home against a 10-man Manchester City?

The question is making the rounds across Manchester United fan groups as the side went down 1-0 despite their local rivals being a man short for over sixty minutes. The defeat at home stings, and the fact that they have only collected four points from four games has not helped either. They are currently 13th in the Premier League, having lost to Hull City in the campaign opener as well.

Carrick's first Manchester derby as interim manager brought a victory and bought him time. Eight months later, after leading United to a third-placed finish and being appointed on a permanent basis, he failed to make an impression. Carrick was roped in as caretaker manager following the exit of Rúben Amorim last season, but managed to keep the job in light of the stellar comeback that the team managed towards the end of the campaign.

The new season, however, has not started the way Carrick wanted. While he got reinforcements in the midfield, the defensive section remains under construction—particularly the wing-backs. All things considered, many fans believe that there is a fair chance that the former player will be sacked by the team management, citing a poor run.

However, according to noted football journalist Fabrizio Romano, Carrick's role is safe for now. The club higher-ups still back him to turn the season around and emerge as a serious contender to finish the campaign strongly.

"They only have four points in four Premier League games, so obviously this is disappointing in terms of results, but Man Utd remain convinced about that [that Michael Carrick is the right person for the job]. Man United absolutely remain convinced that the future will be bright under Michael Carrick,” Romano was quoted as saying on his YouTube channel by TeamTalk.

Despite an indifferent start to the season and defensive fragility, Carrick sticks to the mantra that he is still in the early days of a long-term plan to restore the club's fortunes. "All the decisions we were making were as if we were going to be here for a period of time. I never knew how long that was going to be, and I still don't, but you're always planning for what we want the future to look like and the direction we want to go, and that was from day one," he said.