Man Utd Dressing Room Crisis Alarms Potential Successors as Carrick Fights for Job

Manchester United's possible next managers are reportedly worried about the discipline in the first-team dressing room, as Michael Carrick fights to keep his job.

United are enduring their worst start to a season in 40 years, with just one win in seven Premier League games. They also lost 4-1 at Como in the Champions League, and the club are said to be looking at alternatives to the man they appointed in the summer. 

According to The Telegraph, those who have been considered for the job are alarmed by what they see in the squad.

A source close to one candidate told the paper: "It's clear they need order and discipline. The dressing room is out of control and that is the first thing to fix."

A confidant of another candidate said the players "talk too much" and need to show far more respect for a club the size of United.

The concern comes after a messy fortnight of public outbursts. Lisandro Martinez criticised technical director Jason Wilcox after the defeat to Atletico Madrid, saying he had not built a squad able to compete in four competitions. 

Captain Bruno Fernandes then went after Carrick himself following the Como loss, blaming the manager's tactics for a night when United were picked apart. 

United players also have a history of outlasting permanent managers at Old Trafford, and they are often accused of helping to bring them down or switching off when times are tough.

Carrick is staying defiant. Ahead of Sunday's game with Bournemouth, he again asked for maximum effort from his players, the same message he gave after the Como defeat. A good result against Bournemouth would ease the heat on him for now, but another slip could force the board to act.

The names being talked about are big ones. Julian Nagelsmann, the 39-year-old former Germany and Bayern Munich boss, is reportedly high on the shortlist and open to the job. Eddie Howe is also well regarded by the board. He left Newcastle in the summer planning a break, but United could cut that short. Antonio Conte is available, while Unai Emery and Fabian Hurzeler are among the employed targets.

Whoever comes in will take over a squad that needs firm control, and United will want someone who can handle one of the toughest jobs in football.