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Carrick's future in doubt after Man Utd's dramatic 4-4 draw with Villa

Summarised from 11 outlets · 28 reports · Updated 8 Nov, 19:32 · Archive

Manchester United drew 4-4 with Aston Villa after scoring twice in stoppage time, but remain in the Premier League relegation zone.

Manchester United drew 4-4 with Aston Villa in a dramatic encounter at Old Tartford on Sunday, with Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu scoring in stoppage time to rescue a point. The result leaves Carrick's side in 18th place, the Premier League relegation zone, ahead of the two-week international break. United conceded twice in the opening four minutes through Alysson in the first minute and Nicolas Jackson in the fourth, leaving their home supporters angry at the start of the match. Bruno Fernandes reduced the deficit from a penalty in the 16th minute after Boubacar Kamara fouled Matheus Cunha, and Youri Tielemans equalised before half-time with his first United goal since his summer move from Villa. History repeated itself in the second half when Diogo Dalot's challenge on Alysson conceded a penalty which John McGinn converted, and Leon Goretzka restored Villa's two-goal lead in the 53rd minute. Zirkzee netted in the 92nd minute and Dorgu scored in the 96th to secure the draw.

Carick has not been told by club bosses whether he will remain as manager beyond Sunday's game. The United hierarchy gave him two games to turn the situation around following the 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth on 25 October, with the understanding that his position would be reassessed during the international break. Before kicking a ball on Sunday, United had slipped into the bottom three after Nottingham Forest beat Manchester City on Saturday.

The manager said he was disappointed not to win and acknowledged his side were making defending errors. 'We're making it difficult for ourselves with the goals that we're giving away,' Carrick told the BBC. 'We're not just giving away one, it's two in succession that put us in such a difficult position.' He added that his side 'looked the better team for long parts' and could have won the match. When asked if United were in a relegation battle, Carrick responded: 'We're in November. I don't like this situation or the results but we can definitely do something about it.'

The Independent reports that United's hierarchy are reluctant to make a change, with sources saying 'no one was actually willing to make a call on the manager, a problem compounded by the fact they have little idea over a replacement.' The outlet adds that United are 'much less sold on Eddie Howe than perception would have it', while Sebastian Hoeness represents 'a huge leap from Stuttgart' and concerns exist over the availability and cost of other candidates. The Mirror and Sky Sports both report that Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann have been discussed as alternatives, with the Mirror also mentioning Antonio Conte and Sebastian Hoeness.

United's win over Roma in midweek, a 3-2 comeback from two goals down in the Champions League, had provided a glimmer of hope ahead of the Villa match. The club have won only three games in 15 league matches this season. Gary Neville told NBC Sports that this was 'a time for experience' rather than youth, with reference to young winger Shea Lacey who came off the bench midweek. Carrick's overall record since returning as manager in January places United third in the table for that period, better than most of the managers he faces in the league, but his side's form was dismal for seven weeks from mid-September until last weekend.

Carrick's future in doubt after Man Utd's dramatic 4-4 draw with Villa
Image: The Telegraph

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How it is being reported

In this story: Michael Carrick · Manchester United · Aston Villa · Patrick Dorgu · Joshua Zirkzee · Bruno Fernandes · Old Trafford

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log