Steven Gerrard has warned Michael Carrick that he must beat Aston Villa tomorrow, Sunday, or the Manchester United board will take decisive action before the international break.
Carrick eased the pressure with a thrilling 3-2 win over Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday evening, ending a run of nine matches without a win in all competitions. Now he must do it again against Aston Villa.
According to the Mirror, "sporting director Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada have been in contact with the trio of Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann and Antonio Conte, but they have not reached a decisive decision regarding Carrick's future".
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Speaking to TNT Sports, Gerrard said: "Sometimes, a performance against a certain opponent in a certain way can give the board more confidence and more hope".
He continued: "Michael is going through a difficult period, and I think the next league match is decisive. I think if he can secure the win, everyone will consider this match may be the first step towards improving his performance. But everyone knows how much impact a defeat has in the last match before the international break. If he loses this match after a run of failing to achieve any win in the league, it will be difficult for him".
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Gerrard recently criticised seven Manchester United players, branding them not up to the team's level, and pointed to the club's failure to back Carrick in the market. United splashed 155 million pounds sterling on three midfielders over the summer without signing the left-back and striker they desperately needed.
The former Liverpool captain added: "Many managers have taken turns coaching them over the past five or six years, but they have not been able to change the team's course. I think (Jose) Mourinho was (the best), as he finished second in the league and won the European title, so the task is difficult at the moment, because I do not think the problem lies in the manager or the assistant manager alone".
He stressed: "I think the problem lies in a group of players who have not delivered a consistent performance and have not given the club enough, in addition to the existence of many administrative problems. I recently mentioned that Manchester United suffers from many problems, not just one problem, and I do not think Michael Carrick is the biggest of these problems.
United sit seventeenth in the Premier League table, kept out of the relegation zone only by goal difference, with just seven points from their first nine matches.