Manchester United make Michael Carrick decision despite Chelsea defeat and relegation fears
Chelsea defeat deepens United's woes as Carrick faces growing pressure
Manchester United's nightmare season continued on Saturday as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, leaving Michael Carrick under enormous pressure.
United have collected just seven points from their opening nine Premier League matches, with only one victory to their name. They sit 16th in the table, just one point above the relegation zone, and are now facing the uncomfortable prospect of a relegation battle.
The defeat also extended their winless run to nine matches across all competitions, their worst such run since 1988.
Chelsea pile more misery on United
United actually started brightly and created several opportunities in the first half but failed to take their chances.
Chelsea punished them shortly after the break when Morgan Rogers opened the scoring with a brilliant solo effort.
Things went from bad to worse when Lisandro Martinez received a second yellow card after fouling Wesley Fofana inside the penalty area. Cole Palmer converted the resulting penalty to seal a comfortable 2-0 victory for Chelsea.
The result lifted Chelsea into the top four while leaving United dangerously close to the bottom three.
Carrick expected to survive for now
Despite United's disastrous form, Michael Carrick is expected to remain in charge for Tuesday's Champions League clash against Roma.
According to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, the United board is unlikely to make a managerial change before the November international break, with some senior figures still believing Carrick can turn things around.
The report suggests that Carrick will get at least another opportunity to revive United's season, although his long term future remains uncertain.
Carrick himself sounded confident when asked whether he expected to be in charge against Roma.
"Yes," was his brief response.
United face Roma at Old Trafford on November 3 before hosting Aston Villa in the Premier League on November 8.
For a club with Manchester United's history and expectations, being dragged into a relegation battle after just nine league games is alarming.
And while Carrick appears to have survived another defeat, the pressure is only growing.
