Manchester United executives are deliberating over Michael Carrick's future as head coach and are prepared to reach a verdict this week on whether to dismiss the 45-year-old, according to the Manchester Evening News.
United sit in the relegation zone during the international break, and Sunday's dramatic 4-4 draw with Aston Villa means they have secured just one victory from their opening 10 Premier League fixtures this season.
Carrick was given a chance to turn things around two weeks ago, when he appeared destined to be sacked following back-to-back three-goal defeats to Como and AFC Bournemouth. Since then, United have shown improved displays but have managed only one win from matches against Chelsea, AS Roma and Villa, with several of the issues plaguing the squad still evident.
United performed better in the opening half at Stamford Bridge before Lisandro Martinez was sent off, then came from 2-0 down to beat Roma 3-2 in the Champions League. Against Villa, they trailed 2-0 and later 4-2, before injury-time goals from Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu salvaged a 4-4 draw.
Suffering just one defeat across those three fixtures is a silver lining for Carrick, but United have conceded eight goals in that span and continue to concede in alarming clusters.
With a two-week international break now underway, United's decision-makers will regroup to determine Carrick's fate. Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox are expected to play a significant role in the process, though both men are also under scrutiny of their own. Co-owners Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family will also have a say in the final decision on whether to dismiss Carrick after 32 games in charge.
United have won just three of their 15 matches across all competitions this season. The absence of a clear-cut successor has given Carrick some breathing room, with unemployed pair Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann leading the race for the job, while United States men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino also remains a contender.
