Another former Tottenham boss now joint-favourite for Man Utd job as Carrick sack looms
Michael Carrick needed a result at Stamford Bridge, but a 2-0 defeat has instead left Man United facing another uncomfortable decision.
The visitors had opportunities to change the mood before the interval.
Bruno Fernandes failed to punish Chelsea when picked out in space, Amad Diallo threatened and Matheus Cunha saw a goal wiped out for offside.
Fernandes had returned to the starting side after being left out against Bournemouth six days earlier.
United reached half-time all square, but whatever encouragement Carrick took into the dressing room disappeared quickly once the teams came back out.
|
Chelsea 2–0 Man United |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Total |
Chelsea |
Man United |
|
Goals |
2 |
0 |
|
Possession |
58.6% |
41.4% |
|
Expected goals (xG) |
2.11 |
1.17 |
|
Total shots |
18 |
12 |
|
Shots on target |
9 |
5 |
|
Big chances missed |
2 |
3 |
|
Corners |
8 |
7 |
|
Total passes |
540 |
379 |
|
Passing accuracy |
88.5% |
77.3% |
|
Offsides |
3 |
2 |
|
Fouls committed |
8 |
20 |
|
Yellow cards |
1 |
4 |
|
Red cards |
0 |
1 |
Morgan Rogers drove through the middle and finished over Senne Lammens to break the deadlock, then Lisandro Martinez made United’s task much harder.
Already booked, the defender caught Wesley Fofana in the penalty area and received a second yellow following a VAR review. Cole Palmer then converted from the spot, leaving the visitors two goals down and a man short.
Bryan Mbeumo’s late effort struck the bar, but there was no recovery, and Carrick was left reflecting on another afternoon when promising football had produced nothing for the league table.
United are now nine games without victory in all competitions, and Chelsea didn’t provide the turnaround their boss needed after last weekend’s Bournemouth hammering.
Carrick still spoke afterwards about preparing for Tuesday’s Champions League meeting with Roma, insisting his focus remains on the next game, but another defeat has given United’s hierarchy plenty to assess.
Thomas Frank emerges as Man United contender alongside Julian Nagelsmann after Chelsea defeat
Shockingly, Thomas Frank has now been named alongside Julian Nagelsmann as a favoured contender to replace Carrick, according to Spanish reports carried by Football365.
The report claims United are very likely to dismiss their manager following the Chelsea defeat, with the two coaches presented as the preferred alternatives.
Nagelsmann is said to have won support inside the boardroom, while United would reportedly be prepared to offer a substantial salary to bring him to Old Trafford.
Nagelsmann’s previous jobs include Bayern Munich and the Germany national team, while Frank’s proven years at Brentford could appeal to a club trying to stop a poor season getting away from them.
Frank has previously revealed meeting Sir Jim Ratcliffe in London when the club were considering their managerial options.
In his book, he recalled the talks taking place in Ratcliffe’s garage, and that previous interview would at least give United’s minority owner an idea of what he could offer.
His strongest case comes from Brentford, where he won promotion and helped turn the Bees into an established Premier League club.
Tottenham was a different story, as Spurs ended his reign after 13 wins in 38 matches across all competitions, then departing in February, less than eight months after arriving.
United would have to weigh that disappointment against his work at Brentford before deciding whether he could handle the demands at Old Trafford.
Frank isn’t the only ex-Spurs boss to be named as a contender either, with Antonio Conte regularly featuring in reports.
