Man United are stuck with their underperforming players no matter who's manager

MANCHESTER, England -- Michael Carrick couldn't get a reaction out of these Manchester United players when he needed one most. If the same thing happens to the next manager, one of the biggest football clubs in Europe will be facing the prospect of relegation from the Premier League. Fresh off the back of the humiliating 4-1 defeat to Como in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, Carrick spent the first five minutes of his news conference on Friday pleading with his squad to show that they cared enough to put in a completely different performance. In his desperation for a change of fortunes, he dropped Bruno Fernandes following the captain's incendiary comments about the game plan in Italy. But with his job on the line, Carrick got another shambolic display as AFC Bournemouth won 3-0 at Old Trafford to leave United 16th in the Premier League table and just one point above the drop zone. With the 45-year-old now on the brink of the sack, good luck to whoever takes over. At one point, the Bournemouth fans began to sing "you're going down with the City." Manchester City are still waiting for their punishment after being found guilty of breaking financial rules, and United have just one league win all season. It's not as unthinkable as it sounds. Forget qualifying for the Champions League. United's immediate worry is getting sucked into a battle for survival. Either way, it's unlikely that Carrick will be around to see it. Asked directly after the game whether he expected to be dismissed, the former United midfielder admitted he was in the dark. "I totally understand the situation," he said. "I am not expecting anything, I'm carrying on as normal. I love this place. I'll always carry on doing what I think is the best for the football club." After another game that summed up United's perilous position, it will be a surprise if Carrick survives long enough to walk out against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in six days' time. Another defeat there and United could be in the bottom three. They are a team completely devoid of any confidence and buckling under the pressure of the intense Old Trafford spotlight. There were nerves and anxiety on show from the very beginning against Bournemouth, just as there was against Como. Ayden Heaven needlessly gave the ball away and then charged into a two-footed lunge to gift Bournemouth a free kick. Rayan was left completely unmarked at the back post to tap in. Next it was Leny Yoro's turn to produce a catastrophic mistake. After dithering on the ball, the once-capped France international slipped and let Adrien Truffert make a simple pass for Marcus Tavernier to score. The less said about Bournemouth's third -- Senne Lammens caught in no-man's land after rushing out to hopeful ball forward and Evanilson shooting into an empty net -- the better. Three basic errors and three goals conceded. Their three league games against Chelsea, Aston Villa and Liverpool look incredibly daunting. United can change their manager, but they are stuck with these players. At the end of the game, Carrick was clapped off by fans in Stretford End as he left the pitch. He patted his chest in response. As soon as he was out of view, the applause quickly turned to boos as the players followed down the tunnel. The match-going supporters are in no doubt about where the blame lies. Amid the anger at the performance on the pitch, fingers were also pointed at those in charge. Owners the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and director of football Jason Wilcox all felt the ire of fans during the second half. And Sunday illustrated why it's not Carrick who is subject to the fans' wrath. This was the third time in the past four seasons that United have lost 3-0 at home to Bournemouth, under three different permanent managers: Erik ten Hag, Ruben Amorim and now Carrick. It's a matter of time before Carrick pays the price. Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann and Antonio Conte are among the names in the frame to take over, but if they were watching on Sunday, they will know that -- if they get the job -- they already have their work cut out. Tottenham Hotspur have shown what can happen to a big club if resources are managed poorly. After finishing 17th in each of the past two seasons, they are fortunate to still have their Premier League status. It's not unimaginable that the same thing could happen to United. They flirted with relegation in 2025 when Ruben Amorim sacrificed league games to save his players for the UEFA Europa League and finished 15th. Currently in the bottom three in the form table, this is a much more dangerous position. United can only hope that whoever comes next has the same impact as Carrick did just 10 months ago. He got an immediate response when he took over from Amorim in January and led a charge up the table. With his message no longer getting across, club bosses have no choice but to look elsewhere. It's the only change they can make in an attempt to stop the bleeding. But whoever is in charge, it will be down to the players to raise themselves and avoid being the first United team in more than 50 years to suffer the ignominy of slipping into the second tier. It was telling that after what was an emotional day for Carrick, he ended his post-match news conference by saying he had "done everything I can to not be in this position." Drained and deflated, he will surely become the latest United manager to depart. His successor has a job on their hands to turn things around.