Michael Carrick’s stay of execution as Manchester United boss may not last long after his team imploded in a 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea Saturday.
The visitors wasted a string of chances to take the lead at Stamford Bridge before Morgan Rogers waltzed through the heart of the United defence to open the scoring in the 50th minute.
Lisandro Martinez then ruined any chance of a revival from Carrick’s men with two quickfire yellow cards, the second of which also conceded a penalty converted by Cole Palmer.
Winless in nine games, defeat leaves the 20-time English champions still just one point above the relegation zone and in danger of ending the weekend in the bottom three.
Many expected Carrick to be axed following last weekend’s 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth.
The former United midfielder was instead given the chance to turn his side’s fortunes around and will lament a lack of ruthlessness during the first half.
Carrick recalled captain Bruno Fernandes after he was left out last weekend in the wake of criticising his manager’s tactics during a 4-1 thrashing at Como in the Champions League.
Fernandes should have marked his return with the opener when he blazed over from Bryan Mbeumo’s inviting cross.
The roles were reversed when Mbeumo could not stretch to meet Fernandes’s delivery at the back post before Amad Diallo was twice denied by Chelsea’s stand-in goalkeeper Mike Penders.
United did finally get the ball in the net when Matheus Cunha turned in Harry Maguire’s header from a corner, but the Brazilian had strayed just offside.
Carrick
Carrick could not hide his frustration in a half-time interview to broadcasters, and his mood soured further with a disastrous start to the second period.
