Manchester United sank to new lows on Sunday, as the club were convincingly beaten 3-0 by Bournemouth in the Premier League, leaving Michael Carrick's job on the brink.

After a dreadful midweek 4-1 loss to Como, many expected Carrick's side to bounce back and show fight and resilience at Old Trafford, but instead they were dominated by the Cherries.

This continues United's awful start to their 2026/27 campaign, with the side having won just two out of 12 competitive fixtures across all competitions, leaving the club languishing in 16th in the Premier League table.

The current feeling is that Carrick's job security is at an all-time low, and a new head coach could be appointed sooner rather than later. With several tough fixtures ahead in the next few weeks, United faces a critical run of games as the club looks to get its season back on track.

The biggest story going into the fixture against Bournemouth was Michael Carrick's decision to bench the club's captain, Bruno Fernandes. While the head coach said the decision was purely for football reasons, the Portuguese midfielder's post-match comments after the loss in Como, criticising Carrick's tactics, could have also played a part.

Despite the need for creativity and a more attacking spark in the second half, Fernandes remained on the bench for the full 90 minutes, marking just his sixth substitute appearance since joining the side in 2020.

Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast after the game, the United legend accused Bruno Fernandes of throwing his manager under the bus, and the crowd's reaction towards Carrick spoke volumes about the situation.

“He has thrown his manager under the bus. The fans were not crying out for Bruno to come on 20 minutes ago when Shea Lacey came on.

“They were singing his name. Those fans when they want someone on the pitch, they tell you, whether you are Sir Alex Ferguson or Michael Carrick or Ralf Ragnick.

“They weren’t singing for Bruno to come on today. They are backing Michael Carrick, so get in your box. Bruno let himself down this week. He basically stuck the knife into his manager.”

It's clear that Bruno Fernandes is Manchester United's best player and that the side is not better off without him, as he was excellent in the second half of last season, propelling Carrick's side to Champions League football and rightfully earning the Premier League Player of the Season award.

While Fernandes is entitled to disagree with Carrick, especially as the club's captain, he should not have aired those grievances publicly after the Como defeat, and despite his fantastic performances since joining, that doesn't give him the right to undermine Carrick and the coaching staff.

While some thought the crowd might eventually start chanting for Bruno Fernandes to come on and turn things around, there was little fanfare when the attacking midfielder warmed up, as Carrick kept his captain on the bench.

At full-time, the crowd made their feelings known, serenading Carrick with his chant as he walked off the pitch. As soon as the head coach entered the tunnel, boos rained down on the players as they exited the pitch, a clear sign that the Old Trafford faithful know Carrick isn't the main issue at this club.