Carrick confident in position despite yet another United loss

Things have gone from bad to worse for Manchester United, sitting on the brink of the Premier League relegation zone after suffering yet another disappointing loss.

Away at Stamford Bridge, United would squander a series of quality first half chances against a shaky Chelsea defence before collapsing in the second half, playing most of the final 45' with just 10 men in a 2-0 loss.

Sat in 17th and only out of the relegation spots on goal difference, the result only piles more pressure on under-fire manager Michael Carrick.

Winless in the league since August, Carrick's first full season at the helm has been nothing short of a disaster - mounting the club's worst winless streak for over 40 years.

That said, the question still stands - how much of the blame falls on the manager? Carrick marks the club's eighth appointment since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2012/13, and it's no coincidence that United hasn't won a title since that very season.

Speaking following the loss to Chelsea, Carrick isn't putting the blame on his underperforming senior players.

"It was as good as we've played for some time... so no," he said.

"We've got to keep moving forward and winning games. Simple as that. There's no words that I can explain to you now that makes any difference. It's not going to change it.

"We've got to move forward and win football matches. It's as simple as that.

"You can move up the league quite quickly if you win football matches. That's the way it's got to be approached, for sure."

Club legend and Carrick's former teammate Gary Neville believes that sacking the manager is an absolute must.

"I think staying with him is a result of the lack of planning, the lack of probably available options, the lack of decision-making around the two people that probably are available. That's when you're really struggling," he said.

"Sometimes a manager needs sacking for their own good. I needed sacking at Valencia. I was happy that they put me out of my misery.

"Those players know Michael Carrick's not going to be there in two or three weeks. He knows it, they know it, everybody knows it."

Despite their horrible form, Carrick is confident that he will remain in charge beyond the upcoming international break.

"Yeah. I'm just looking forward to getting the boys ready for midweek," he said.

United's upcoming fixtures aren't particularly kind. Following a Champion's League match with Italian giants Roma, Carrick's men remain at Old Trafford to take on Aston Villa, before returning from international break to face Liverpool at Anfield in mid-November.