Young Paul

Michael Carrick will doubtless pay the price with his job for this deserved defeat to an excellent Bournemouth side and another lifeless display by his Manchester United team. Some of his selections and tactics have been questionable, United were again so open in the centre. But Carrick was not responsible for recruiting Youri Tielemans, who lacks physicality and mobility (and Aston Villa haven’t missed him) and Andrey Santos, a Chelsea reserve.  Carrick was not responsible for the board’s damaging failure to strengthen at centre-back and left-back. Carrick was not responsible for his main striker Benjamin Sesko being injured and the board’s failure to provide him with cover. Carrick was not responsible for the club he loves being in the grip of co-owners like the Glazers whose priorities are focused more on business than the sport. The direction from the top has been negligible, arguably negligent. No real leadership. No expertise. Carrick may be out of his depth but many United fans sang his name during the painful demise to Bournemouth because they know he cares and they know the problems lie elsewhere. The Stretford End again sang in protest at the wretched Glazers. Noticeable that there were few songs in support of Bruno Fernandes. He is supposed to be captain, rallying the players, Footballer of the Year, Player of the Year, not arm-waver of the year, underachieving and complaining. Yet Bruno will be at United longer than Carrick.  Carrick was praised for United finishing third last season and getting in the Champions League. But he will doubtless go partly for his own failings and mainly the failings of others. And United will be trapped in this doom loop again. And again until the core problems are addressed in the boardroom - and the Glazers sell up - and flaws in the recruitment department. #MUFC #MUNBOU

If Manchester United get rid of Michael Carrick they get rid of the individual who cares most about the Club. Carrick cares for United far more than the Glazers do (obviously), more than Ratcliffe, Wilcox & Berrarda do, more than Bruno Fernandes & the underachieving players #MUFC

People saying it’s Manchester United’s worst defeat in the Champions League since the 4-0 loss at Camp Nou in 1994. I was there for that and knew something was up when I saw Peter Schmeichel having a coffee in the press room an hour before kick-off. The 4-0 was bad but there were excuses, the 3+2 rule, Schmeichel sacrificed, and the quality of Barcelona – Romario, Stoichkov, Koeman, Guardiola. United's 4-1 loss to Como is worse. No excuses. No energy. Just a terrible performance, bordering on the spineless, summing up all the lack of leadership and responsibility-taking at the club. So much wrong about the club, from the Glazers with their debt, to the board and naïve recruitment. The team crying out for full-backs and a back-up striker and splurging money on midfielders, including a reserve from Chelsea and a player in Tielemans whose best years are behind him, who needs legs around him and whose main attraction was arguably his release clause. The dysfunctional, divided nature of the United family absolutely summed up by Bruno Fernandes during and after the game. A captain who failed to raise his own game or rally his players. A supposed leader who has now questioned his manager’s tactics. Michael Carrick's tactics and changes can certainly be questioned. He may eventually pay the price for the shambles in Como. It's cheaper than shipping out the under-performing players. But Carrick is not the real problem. He doubtless sees players who lack his passion for the shirt. He could be forgiven for looking at Wilcox and Berrada and thinking how badly he was let down in the summer transfer window. And he's on the brink. Manchester United may be ousting the one individual who cares most about the team and the club. Which sums up the total mess they are in. #MUFC