Carrick on the brink as Manchester United implode against Chelsea

The 42

Chelsea 2
Manchester United 0

MICHAEL CARRICK’S POSITION as Manchester United head coach looks increasingly untenable after his side imploded in the second half to lose 2-0 against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

A third defeat in a row, which made it nine matches without a win in all competitions for the first time since 1988-89, brought the inevitable chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” from home fans, but what will hurt most for United’s beleaguered manager will be the way he was let down yet again by senior players.

Lisandro Martínez, publicly outspoken earlier this month, was booked twice inside two minutes and a more needless red card it would be hard to imagine.

The second yellow, for an arm raised to Wesley Fofana, also saw a penalty conceded from which Cole Palmer made it 2-0 to Chelsea, that after Morgan Rogers had scored a brilliant solo goal to show up United’s awful finishing.

Referee Peter Bankes sends off Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez. Adam Davy / PA

The irony for Carrick is that his team had dominated the first half. They were unlucky to see Matheus Cunha’s goal disallowed, the Brazilian half a yard offside, while Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandes gave up excellent chances.

Fernandes was back in the side and captain after being dropped for his outburst against Carrick following the defeat to Como on 21 October. Even that seemed little more than a footnote in a chapter that surely now must be close to its end.

Chelsea somehow survived the first half unscathed. Fernandes blew his chance at writing the headlines, skying high into the Matthew Harding Stand from Bryan Mbeumo’s pass on a quick United breakaway.

Only excellent covering by Levi Colwill stopped Cunha going clean through, and Mbeumo was inches from connecting with Fernandes’ low cross for a certain goal as Chelsea’s defence tottered and swayed.

Mike Penders saved low to his left from Diallo, then awful defending from Fofana twice let the United forward clean through on goal. Penders saved the first, and a high, wayward finish came next as home supporters unleashed verbal frustrations on their central defender.

Morgan Rogers scored a superb solo goal. Adam Davy / PA

United more than deserved to be ahead. They thought they were on the half-hour mark, Cunha putting the ball in the net from a corner only for VAR to determine he had been offside from Harry Maguire’s header.

Chelsea were finally brought to life through a moment of individual brilliance. Rogers had the entire United defence in front of him when collecting the ball inside the centre circle but in a flash he had driven his way through the lot of them, Martinez’s futile grasps at the forward’s shirt insufficient to prevent him lifting a delightful finish past Senne Lammens.

It was hard to fathom how United, so dominant for so long, had found themselves in this position. For a team already low on confidence, it proved too much to process.

Cole Palmer punished Manchester United with a penalty. Adam Davy / PA

Martinez had already been booked when he needlessly put a forearm in the throat of Fofana with a corner drifting harmlessly away. A second yellow came out, a penalty awarded and Palmer squeezed it past Lammens.

Now came the chants, home supporters’ taunts raining down on Carrick as he forlornly readied substitutes in a losing cause.

He was at least spared the ignominy of a third goal against his team when Estevao’s finish was belatedly chalked off for offside.

Written by Press Association and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.