Fabrizio Romano has revealed the intentions of Manchester United and the INEOS group over the future of head coach Michael Carrick, following a poor start that has yielded just one win from five Premier League matches and an early League Cup exit after Carrick's side squandered a two-goal lead against Brighton.
They also failed to keep a clean sheet against English sides. The criticism has centred on a lack of intensity when pressing opponents' forwards, and in most matches United have fallen short of the level they hit under Carrick in the second half of last season. The one exception came in their Champions League opener against Azerbaijan's Qarabag.
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The website TeamTalk quoted Romano's comments via YouTube, in which he confirmed that "the club has not contacted any other coaches, and is not holding talks with coaches or agents", stressing that "the situation is currently calm, with hopes that it will continue for months".
Recent results, he added, do not satisfy the club or Carrick, but Manchester United have faith in their coach, especially with the arrival of Carlos Baleba and a midfield rebuilt over the summer that needs time to gel.
Carrick, according to Romano, is not suffering from the nightmare that ended the careers of previous coaches at the club: he has the players' support.
He explained: "United's players support Carrick and his ideas, and the vast majority of them back him", unlike other coaches before him who never enjoyed similar backing, such as Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim.
Romano was clear about the caveat. He added: "But results remain essential to guarantee the coach's continuity and the success of the project in the long term".