Carrick clings to United job amid crisis, but club already weighing replacements

Eight o'clock Tuesday morning, and there was Michael Carrick, right on time, walking through the doors at Carrington as if nothing were wrong. Deep down, though, plenty is wrong: the Manchester United manager showed up to train with the squad even though his future at the club remains completely up in the air. The session kicked off at 11 a.m., and according to sources consulted by ESPN, Carrick is still expected to lead the team on Saturday at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.

The squad also returned to work that Tuesday, after being given Monday off. Everything looked normal on the surface, though nothing really is after the weekend's blow: a 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford that produced images that won't be forgotten anytime soon.

Support from the stands, anger aimed at the players

One thing became very clear that day at the stadium, and United took note of it: the fans backed Carrick during and after the loss, while the frustration was directed almost entirely at the players. There were boos at the final whistle, and things got even uglier afterward, when the team followed its manager down the tunnel to the locker room.

Amid that atmosphere, Carrick made a decision that stirred things up: he left his captain, Bruno Fernandes, on the bench. The 32 year old Portuguese midfielder also showed up at Carrington that morning, but it's a far cry from the player who ended last season collecting individual honors after setting a new Premier League assists record. In fact, the captain himself had questioned the manager's tactical decisions after the match in Como. Carrick, for his part, explained that the benching was down to "purely footballing" reasons and not a disciplinary measure, though the fact remains that Fernandes did not play a single minute on Sunday.

On Monday, Fernandes had been at the club's training ground for a scheduled treatment session, and it didn't go unnoticed that his Instagram account liked a video overlaid with a caption that sounded like a message: "never push a loyal person to the point where they stop caring." Carrick, meanwhile, spent that same Monday afternoon watching a closed door friendly involving the club's under 21 side.

That wasn't the only movement behind the scenes. CEO Omar Berrada and football director Jason Wilcox arrived early that day for a meeting following the loss to Bournemouth, at a club that keeps buzzing internally even as the manager remains in place, for now, heading into Saturday's match.

Because the pressure on Carrick is no small thing: United have gone eight games without a win. The club has won just one Premier League match all season, against newly promoted Ipswich at Old Trafford back in August, and sits 16th in the table, just one point above the relegation zone. It is, in fact, the worst start to a league season in the club's history.

The trip to Stamford Bridge also opens up a brutal stretch of fixtures: two straight home games follow, against Roma and Aston Villa, before the November international break, and the first match back will be nothing less than a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on November 22.

With that backdrop, it's no surprise that the club's hierarchy has already begun exploring possible replacements, with names like Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann and Antonio Conte on the table. Carrick remains in charge for now, but the margin keeps shrinking with every match.