Eight games without a win, Manchester United face another managerial crisis as Michael Carrick comes under fire

Manchester United are facing the prospect of another managerial change after going eight games without a win and slipping to just above the Premier League relegation zone, with Michael Carrick's position under growing pressure.The former United midfielder received applause from fans as he walked down the tunnel after Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford. Moments later, the players were booed as they left the pitch, with supporters making their frustration clear.Carrick was given a two-year contract in May after leading an impressive revival following the team's struggles under Ruben Amorim. United finished third in the Premier League and secured a return to the Champions League. However, the team's decline this season has brought back familiar concerns for supporters, who have not seen the club win a Premier League title since Alex Ferguson's final season, 13 years ago.An emotional Carrick denied that his lap of the pitch at full-time on Sunday was a farewell gesture as he tried to make sense of the team's sudden decline."I definitely knew that we hadn't cracked it and there was a lot of work to be done, but that doesn't mean to say that it should have gone this way," he said.The 45-year-old is still in charge, but his position appears increasingly uncertain, news agency AFP reported. Former Newcastle manager Eddie Howe and ex-Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann have reportedly emerged as possible candidates to replace him.Carrick won several titles during United's successful years under Ferguson. He is the seventh permanent manager appointed since the Scot retired. The club has since turned to managers with different backgrounds, including David Moyes, who had Premier League experience, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, who had strong records, and Erik ten Hag and Amorim, who were regarded as promising coaches.Sentimental choiceCarrick's appointment has similarities with that of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who managed United for three years from 2018. Like Solskjaer, Carrick was a former player who had been part of the club's successful years under Ferguson, making him a popular choice among supporters."The Manchester United fans are singing the Michael Carrick song because I think they know what's going to happen here. They've seen this before. He's one of their own and he's popular," former United captain Gary Neville told Sky Sports."But the owners, the sporting department and the players are not popular and they've badly let this football club down."As Neville pointed out, United's problems extend beyond the manager.The US-based Glazer family continue to hold a majority stake in the club despite ongoing protests from supporters. Malcolm Glazer bought United through a leveraged takeover in 2005, leaving the club with huge debts.There were hopes that the arrival of British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe as a minority owner in 2024 would mark the beginning of a new era. However, those expectations have not been met.Ratcliffe has introduced cost-cutting measures, including widespread job cuts and higher ticket prices, but the club's debt has continued to rise and now stands above £1.1 billion ($1.47 billion).United, who once had the financial power to compete for the biggest names in the transfer market, also failed to sign several of their preferred targets during the summer midfield rebuild. Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes all chose other clubs.United instead signed Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos for a combined fee of about £150 million, but none has made a strong impression so far.Tensions within the club have also come to the surface in recent weeks. Lisandro Martinez criticised director of football Jason Wilcox for not doing enough to strengthen Carrick's squad.Last week, captain Bruno Fernandes publicly questioned Carrick's tactics after United suffered a 4-1 defeat against Como, who were making their debut in the Champions League.Carrick is expected to bear the consequences of the team's poor results, but the club's return to the top appears increasingly difficult."It can't just be the manager again. There has got to be consequences above that. You can't keep letting the people pick the manager who keep getting it wrong," said Neville."It's years now without a Premier League title. That will be another five or 10 before you know it because there are other clubs set up for success and Manchester United aren't."Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.