Michael Carrick's telling response as Man United make U-turn on sacking him

Carrick retained as Manchester United manager after crunch talks with Berrada, Wilcox, Glazers and Ratcliffe, despite 3-0 Bournemouth loss.

Michael Carrick will remain as Manchester United head coach after the club's leadership decided against sacking him following Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth. The decision came after crunch talks involving chief executive Omar Berrada, director of football Jason Wilcox, co-owners the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Carrick had seemed resigned to his fate after the match, saying "It's a tough situation, there's no hiding from it. What it looks like and what's next, I really don't know."

The club's decision suggests they believe the problems run deeper than the manager. Carrick will now prepare for the trip to Stamford Bridge as normal. United sit 16th in the Premier League, just a point above the relegation zone. A key selection question looms around Bruno Fernandes, who was dropped for the Bournemouth game after criticising Carrick's tactics in the Champions League loss to Como; Carrick claimed it was a "pure football" decision rather than punishment.