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'They don't believe in the manager!' - Michael Carrick under growing pressure as Man Utd legend Ashley Cole delivers damning verdict after Chelsea loss

Manchester United legend Ashley Cole has raised serious concerns regarding Michael Carrick's future at Old Trafford, suggesting the squad has lost faith in their manager. The Red Devils' dismal form continued on Saturday as they suffered a demoralising 2-0 home defeat to Chelsea, extending their winless streak to nine matches.

Crisis deepens at Old Trafford

Manchester United’s season reached a new low on Saturday as a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea left the club languishing just a single point above the Premier League relegation zone. The result marks a devastating nine-game winless run in all competitions - the club's poorest sequence of results since 1988.

Carrick, who only narrowly survived an emergency board meeting earlier in the week, now faces intense scrutiny as his position looks increasingly untenable despite his insistence that he expects to lead the team in their upcoming Champions League fixture against Roma.

Cole's scathing assessment of the squad

"I really really don't know but I say that in the politest way," Cole said when asked who could potentially step in to replace the under-fire Carrick. "There are ways to change the dynamic of this team. You talk about the players not believing in the manager at the moment. Well, you need to find someone who the players will believe in. But the manager has to really demand more from the players. And I keep going back to it, it drives me nuts: more personality! More personality to have the ball more, to control games."

Cole’s analysis highlighted a perceived lack of technical bravery and character among the United stars compared to their opponents. "Chelsea are a young team, but they have the ball, the made Manchester United come out into positions where they don't want to be! Manchester United don't seem to play with that confidence, so I think it's going to have to be a [new] manager and some personnel that come in in January that can work in a similar way to the top teams," he told beIN SPORTS.

A lost aura and recruitment failures

Reflecting on why Carrick remained in the dugout for the Chelsea clash despite last week's 3-0 loss to Bournemouth, Cole admitted his surprise at the board's patience. "I'm a little bit shocked, because by his reaction to the fans he must have felt something boiling behind the scenes," Cole noted.

"But on the other side of that, Carrick is a young manager, he has an aura and a way about him. You saw the impact he had when he came into the job, to take them from where there were to the back end of last season, there were very good performances, you could tell the team were playing for him, they had belief."

Beyond the managerial failings, Cole also pointed to systemic issues within the club's recruitment strategy, particularly the failure to secure a specialist left-back to compete with the injury-prone Luke Shaw. Diogo Dalot was forced to deputise in that position again on Saturday, highlighting a lack of depth that Cole believes has hampered Carrick's tactical plans.

I began my journalism career in 2011, initially specializing in investigative reporting. This experience allowed me to explore different fields in depth, develop strong analytical skills, and build a solid foundation in journalism. Eventually, I decided to pursue my first passion: football. I went on to cover the Egyptian national teams across all age groups, while expanding my coverage to include the global game and its biggest stories.

My passion for football began on the pitch, where I played for the youth teams of several Egyptian clubs. That early experience shaped my understanding of the game and fueled my desire to follow football at every level. My journey as a fan of the global game dates back to the 1998 FIFA World Cup, alongside a deep-rooted interest in Egyptian domestic football. However, my connection with the game has never been limited to watching matches on television. I have consistently followed my favorite team, Zamalek, from the stands, experiencing the atmosphere, emotions, and intensity of Egyptian football firsthand. As one of the most successful clubs of the 20th century, Zamalek holds a special place in my football journey.

On the European stage, AC Milan has always been my favorite club, largely because of my admiration for legendary players such as George Weah, Paolo Maldini, Gennaro Gattuso, Kaká, Andrea Pirlo, Ronaldinho, and Clarence Seedorf. My appreciation for these football icons has also made watching historic El Clásico encounters between Real Madrid and Barcelona even more enjoyable, allowing me to appreciate the rivalry without taking sides in the endless debates between their supporters. Among all my football memories, one stands above the rest: AC Milan’s redemption against Liverpool in the 2007 UEFA Champions League final, when Filippo Inzaghi scored a historic brace to secure a memorable victory.

Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work with two of the Middle East’s leading sports platforms, Kooora and GOAL.com. These experiences have given me extensive knowledge of both Arab and international football, while allowing me to develop my skills across different areas of sports journalism and digital content. In 2022, I was honored to become a member of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate, marking an important milestone in my professional journey. In January 2026, I took another significant step in my career by transitioning to the English-language edition of GOAL.com, broadening my experience in international football journalism and English-language sports content while continuing to pursue my passion for telling the stories that make football the world's game.

Crisis deepens at Old Trafford

Cole's scathing assessment of the squad

A lost aura and recruitment failures

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