OPINION: Michael Carrick has been given Sunday's clash with Bournemouth to arrest Manchester United's slide, but the issues at Old Trafford run much deeper than the dugout

It now feels like a question of when and not if for Michael Carrick.

Manchester United’s humiliating defeat at Como in the Champions League has only sharpened the focus on a growing crisis at Old Trafford which has left Carrick on the brink. The worst start to a league season since 1986 and United crashed out of the Carabao Cup at the first hurdle.

Incredibly, they are closer to the Premier League relegation zone than the top four. But, undoubtedly, the most damaging part of this week might actually be Bruno Fernandes openly questioning the manager and his tactics.

Sadly, you know the game is up when the dressing room begins to turn and no one should underestimate the power and impact of Fernandes’ words after that Como game. That felt like a new low for Carrick even in such a disappointing season where they have now gone six games without a win.

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Fernandes openly questioned Carrick’s tactics after the defeat at Como. “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,” he said.

When asked if Carrick got his tactics wrong, Fernandes also told TNT Sports: “That's on the manager and staff to see it, not me.”

There is an old saying in football that when a manager loses the fans you are a dead man walking. Maybe that explains why Carrick, at the end of the Como game, went over to the travelling fans before anyone else to effectively apologise for the lame performance and surrender.

But, meanwhile, Carrick is clearly in danger of losing the players anyway which is generally the tipping point for any manager. Without the players fighting for you on the pitch, the manager stands no chance of getting a performance from the players.

It was Erik ten Hag who this week talked to The Athletic about “player power” and a “toxic” environment at Old Trafford during his time in charge.

Dutchman Ten Hag said he had to be the bad cop. Ruben Amorim came in and was probably too honest. Carrick clearly got brilliant results and performances from the players last season to lift the club from mediocrity and into the Champions League places.

Carrick got the players onside but that approach will only work for so long. Being a nice guy in football is probably seen as a sign of weakness and that makes you the No.1 target when you do not get results.

The most obvious thing about United this season has been a lack of intensity, a lack of sharpness and direction. The recruitment has been poor but the opening day defeat at Hull City was more about the team’s lack of fitness. That still looks well below par.

United have not improved and now you have criticism coming from all angles. Last week it was Lisandro Martinez taking aim at the club’s hierarchy and poor recruitment.

Why did they sign Youri Tielemans? He is a good player, but what was the plan? He does not fit into their system. So, why sign him? That’s United’s transfer policy to a tee.

And what on earth did those signings make of those Martinez remarks? That was the first sign of civil war.

This week, we have the captain speaking out against the manager. That feels like the point of no return. There is surely no way back for the United manager.

United should, in hindsight, have been bold in the summer and thanked Carrick for steering the club back into the top four and then looked to hire an elite, experienced manager.

Instead, they stuck with Carrick and are now stuck back in a cycle which just mirrors what happened with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. An upturn in results as the dressing room like him, they turn things around - and then run out of steam.

That is what happened with Carrick. It’s rinse and repeat. Carrick has run out of credit with the players. Frankly, after a 4-1 defeat, one of the worst defeats in the club’s proud European history, it would have been no surprise if they had pulled the trigger.

Now it just feels like Carrick is treading water. He stumbles on until Bournemouth on Sunday. He may get until the next international break. Then it will be the next cab off the rank from the ranks of Julian Nagelsmann, Antonio Conte or Eddie Howe.

Conte would get results but present a scorched earth policy. Howe inherited a bigger mess at Newcastle but did a great job. He is free, available and would be keen. But even Howe can only succeed if the structure above is right. And at United, that is the bigger problem.