Steven Gerrard fears that a loss to Aston Villa could be the end for Michael Carrick at Manchester United. At the same time, he believes that Carrick is far from United’s biggest problem.
Steven Gerrard thinks it could be “tough” to see Michael Carrick surviving the international break if Manchester United lose to Aston Villa on Sunday.
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United ended their nine-game winless streak in midweek after a magnificent turnaround against Roma in the Champions League. But the pressure is still heavy on Carrick’s shoulders ahead of the weekend: the Red Devils are 17th in the Premier League and have not won in the league since the end of August.
Unai Emery’s Villa side will be looking to put new pressure on United with a win at Old Trafford. And Gerrard fears that a loss could make it difficult for Carrick to return as manager after the international break.
“The next league game is crucial”
“Sometimes a performance against a certain opponent in a certain way can give the board a little more faith, a little more hope,” Gerrard told TNT Sports.
“Michael is having a tough time, and I think the next league game is crucial. If he manages to win it, I think everyone thinks that this could be some of the steps that will take them to better shape.
“But everyone knows what a loss in the last game before an international break can do. If you lose it, on top of nine games without a win in the league, I think it can be tough for him.
“Carrick is not the biggest problem”
Speculation surrounding Carrick’s possible replacement has been rife in recent weeks, with Unai Emery, Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann all said to be under consideration.
But Gerrard believes Carrick is far from “the biggest problem” at Old Trafford – and points to the group of players and the board.
“They’ve had a lot of managers in the last five or six years who haven’t been able to turn their luck around,” he says.
“I think Mourinho came closest, with second place in the league and victory in Europe. So it’s a difficult job right now, because I don’t think it’s just a problem with the manager or the coach.
“I think there is a group of players who have been very inconsistent and not given the club enough – and there are also a lot of problems from above.
“I said recently that Manchester United have a lot of problems, not just one, and I don’t think Michael Carrick is the biggest problem there.
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