The writing is on the wall for Michael Carrick.

If the manner of Manchester United’s 4-1 hammering at Como in the Champions League was not alarming enough, the obvious split between head coach and captain afterwards demonstrated a power struggle that will only end one way.

Bruno Fernandes’ criticism of the tactics employed by Carrick in Italy showed there is a lack of respect for the former England midfielder in the dressing room. Fernandes had no qualms about calling out his boss with his remarks coming just a week after Lisandro Martinez also fired barbs at the club’s technical director Jason Wilcox.

Asked to describe what went wrong against Como, the Portuguese midfielder told TNT Sports: “It’s a decision from the staff to not press man to man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball, but sometimes when you give too much the ball to these teams they get confidence.”

Asked whether Carrick got his tactics wrong, Fernandes added: “That’s on the manager and staff to see it, not me. Sometimes you have to be more brave under pressure, take the risk of pressing high and making them uncomfortable.”

Carrick was uncharacteristically blunt when asked later about Fernandes’ remarks, saying: “There’s a little bit of whatever system you play, whatever tactics you play, if you don’t run, and you don’t run forward, and you don’t run back, you aren’t going to win.”

Fernandes was hauled off after 67 minutes at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia after a display low on energy but high on arm waving.

It now remains to be seen whether Carrick will remain in post prior to Sunday’s home game with Bournemouth. If he does, it will be interesting to see the reaction from the Old Trafford crowd to Fernandes.

The former Sporting CP midfielder is supremely gifted, as evidenced by his winning of the PFA Player of the Year award last season, but the suspicion has always been he quickly becomes a negative influence when things start to go wrong.

It can’t be a coincidence that he, and the likes of Harry Maguire, continue to linger at United despite the frequent changes in the dug out.

So, what if Carrick is fired? Who are the contenders?

Eddie Howe
Still regarded as a success at Newcastle despite spending close to £1billion during his five-year stint at St James’ Park. For that hefty outlay, Howe managed to win one trophy, the 2025 EFL Cup. His style of play, aggressive against lesser sides but passive against the big guns, may not sit easy with the United faithful.

Antonio Conte
A serial winner after claiming the Scudetto with Juventus, Inter Milan and Napoli. Also won the Premier League crown with Chelsea in 2017. The downside is the Italian’s combustible nature and whether that would work in United’s current set-up.

Fabian Hurzeler
Hurzeler has come into the equation due to Brighton’s current form. The 33-year-old has done a fine job at the Amex, guiding the Seagulls to third in the Premier League table. Has just four years’ managerial experience under his belt and has benefited from the excellent recruitment programme at Brighton. He would not get that at Old Trafford.

Julian Nagelsmann
Another relatively young manager at 39, Nagelsmann burst onto the scene with impressive stints at Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig. Since then, though, his progress has stalled. A two-year spell at Bayern Munich resulted in one Bundesliga title while with Germany he reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 and the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup.

What’s next for Manchester United

The fixtures do not look kind for United with some tricky games coming up over the next month.

Oct 25: Bournemouth (h)
Oct 31: Chelsea (a)
Nov 3: Roma (h)
Nov 8: Aston Villa (h)
Nov 22: Liverpool (a)
Nov 25: Sporting CP (home)