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Winless in eight games and hovering just above the Premier League relegation zone, struggling Manchester United are facing the prospect of yet another managerial change, with Michael Carrick likely to pay the price.<\/strong><\/p>\n The former United midfielder was warmly applauded by fans as he made his way down the tunnel after his team\u2019s chastening 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday.<\/p>\n Moments later a chorus of boos erupted as the players left the pitch \u2014 with fans clear in their minds where the blame lies for United\u2019s current malaise.<\/p>\n Carrick was handed a two-year deal in May after inspiring an impressive revival following the team\u2019s struggles under Ruben Amorim \u2014 United secured third place in the Premier League and a return to the Champions League.<\/p>\n But a drastic decline this season is an all-too-familiar story for United supporters, who last witnessed a Premier League title triumph 13 years ago under Alex Ferguson.<\/p>\n An emotional Carrick denied his lap of the pitch at full-time on Sunday was a goodbye as he struggles to come to terms with his team\u2019s precipitous decline.<\/p>\n \u201cI definitely knew that we hadn\u2019t cracked it and there was a lot of work to be done, but that doesn\u2019t mean to say that it should have gone this way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Carrick, 45, is clinging on but his position appears increasingly precarious, with former Newcastle boss Eddie Howe and ex-Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann apparently in the frame for the job.<\/p>\n The United boss, who won multiple titles in the club\u2019s golden era under Ferguson, was the seventh permanent appointment since the Scot retired.<\/p>\n David Moyes was proven in the Premier League, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho had stellar records and Erik ten Hag and Amorim were seen as rising stars of coaching.<\/p>\n Sentimental choice\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Carrick is in the same category as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was in charge for three years from 2018 \u2014 a sentimental choice as a former player who played a major role in the club\u2019s glory years under Ferguson.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Manchester United fans are singing the Michael Carrick song because I think they know what\u2019s going to happen here. They\u2019ve seen this before. He\u2019s one of their own and he\u2019s popular,\u201d former United captain Gary Neville told Sky Sports.<\/p>\n \u201cBut the owners, the sporting department and the players are not popular and they\u2019ve badly let this football club down.\u201d<\/p>\n The problems at the club, as Neville points out, go far beyond the dugout.<\/p>\n Despite fierce, ongoing protests from fans, the US-based Glazer family still hold a majority stake in the club Malcolm Glazer bought via a leveraged takeover in 2005, saddling United with huge debts.<\/p>\n Any hopes that the arrival of British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe as a minority owner in 2024 would signal a new dawn have been dashed.<\/p>\n Ratcliffe has overseen cost-cutting measures including widespread redundancies and ticket hikes but the club\u2019s debt has still soared above \u00a31.1 billion ($1.47 billion).<\/p>\n United, who for years bullied their rivals in the transfer market, lost out on the biggest names as they targeted a summer midfield rebuild, with Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes all choosing other clubs.<\/p>\n United instead recruited Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos \u2014 none of whom have made a strong impression \u2014 for combined fees of about \u00a3150 million.<\/p>\n Significant rifts have emerged in recent weeks.<\/p>\n Lisandro Martinez criticised director of football Jason Wilcox for not doing more to strengthen Carrick\u2019s squad.<\/p>\n Last week captain Bruno Fernandes publicly questioned Carrick\u2019s tactics in a 4-1 humbling by Champions League debutants Como.<\/p>\n Carrick is expected to take the blame, but the route back to the top for one of the world\u2019s biggest clubs appears tougher than ever.<\/p>\n \u201cIt can\u2019t just be the manager again. There has got to be consequences above that. You can\u2019t keep letting the people pick the manager who keep getting it wrong,\u201d said Neville.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s years now without a Premier League title. That will be another five or 10 before you know it because there are other clubs set up for success and Manchester United aren\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n