Manchester United

If Michael Carrick is to hold onto the Manchester United job, he'll need some good results in a tricky run of fixtures...

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Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

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The cycle of doom that has ultimately engulfed every Manchester United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson now has the hapless Michael Carrick in its unforgiving grip.

Carrick recreated a familiar scene - the same one acted out by predecessor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after a 4-1 loss at Watford in November 2021 cost him his job - by raising his hands in apology to supporters who had just seen United humiliated by the same scoreline at Como in the Champions League.

Carrick is the seventh full-time manager since Ferguson stepped down in 2013 after winning 38 trophies during 26 years in charge.

Since then there have been days of success under Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Erik ten Hag, and moments of hope, but the final outcome is always the same - dismissal.

Carrick will need something miraculous to change that storyline, with results poor and revolt within the dressing room as defender Lisandro Martinez took aim at director of football Jason Wilcox after the Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid, while captain Bruno Fernandes questioned the tactics in Como.

It hints at something rotten in the state of United.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport Manchester United reporter

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This time last week, Michael Carrick was preparing to face questions about Lisandro Martinez's explosive post-match comments following Manchester United's defeat by Atletico Madrid.

The United head coach spoke well – and also made a point of stressing how well his team had trained preparing for their visit to Leeds United.

Carrick would have been preparing to go through it all again after skipper Bruno Fernandes made more personal comments after the 4-1 hammering by Como.

Fernandes has not been disciplined by the club or had the captaincy removed. But some feel Carrick should drop him anyway.

His former team-mate and good friend Wayne Rooney has urged him to "come out fighting" and show "no more Mr Nice Guy".

It will be fascinating to see how Carrick deals with Friday's news conference.

He knows more than anyone the importance of a victory to end a current seven-match run without a win, their worst since 2015-16.

Carrick also promised on Tuesday there would be an update on Benjamin Sesko's shin injury.

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Michael Carrick's management is coming under intense scrutiny following a run of just two wins in 11 matches at the start of this season.

The club is 13th in the Premier League, with just one win from their seven matches, and has fallen to 21st place in the Champions League following back-to-back defeats.

Carrick's position was further weakened with a 4-1 loss at Como on Wednesday, after which captain Bruno Fernandes questioned the tactics employed.

The United boss is due to face the media from 13:30 BST today - stick with us for live text coverage and watch the news conference live on this page.

BBC Sport reported on Thursday that while club sources say Michael Carrick will remain in charge for Sunday's match, Manchester United have already begun the process of identifying possible replacements.

Eddie Howe, Antonio Conte and Julian Nagelsmann are understood to have their eyes on the Old Trafford job.

It is important to note that Antonio Conte has not mentioned Manchester United by name in his social media statement.

The former Chelsea and Tottenham boss has been linked with a number of clubs since leaving his last post at Napoli, including United and Juventus.

However, a recent report in Italy, external said that United had "sounded out" Conte and the Italian had demanded "full powers" to take Michael Carrick's role at Old Trafford.

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Here is the full statement from Antonio Conte, which he has released on his Instagram story:

"Following recent media reports in Italy and abroad, I feel it is appropriate to clarify my position.

"My name has been linked with numerous clubs, but there are currently no negotiations at an advanced stage. Following a wonderful and successful spell in charge of Napoli, I will take the time I need to consider how and when to return to management. It will be a carefully considered decision, one I will make when I believe the conditions are right.

"I have read reports of financial demands and requests for full control that I have supposedly already made to the clubs mentioned, as well as reservations about what has been described as my “strong personality”. These reports are unfounded, as there is currently no concrete basis for such assessments.

"Should a concrete opportunity arise, that will be the time to hold discussions with the club concerned and jointly consider the terms of a potential agreement, with due regard for both parties’ needs and the qualities and approach that define my work as a manager.

"Until then, any assumptions about my demands and my professional future remain speculation and cannot be treated as fact."

Antonio Conte has written a response on social media to reports linking him with the Manchester United job, saying that "no negotiations" he is involved in are at an "advanced stage".

The Italian, who has not worked since leaving his last position with Napoli, said that he "will take the time to consider" his next move and that "conditions" need to be "right".

Full quotes to follow.

We will come back to Fabian Hurzeler in a moment, following an update on rumours linking former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Antonio Conte with a move back to the Premier League...

Brighton & Hove Albion

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Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler on Liverpool's Florian Wirtz:

"I'm excited to see my playmaker [Pascal Gross], not their playmaker!

"Wirtz, of course, is an incredible player. It's impressive what he has done in his young career and I think he is adapting more and more to the Premier League.

"It's always a joy to see these kind of players but it is important for us to stop him and not stop him in one v one situation because he will be too good.

"We have to stop him as a team. Liverpool is not only Wirtz, they have a lot of other individual quality. It will be a lot about our team performance.

"We can still improve our performances because we have to lift our levels. We not only have to maintain standards, we have to lift them."

Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler on if his side are title contenders:

"No! We go game by game, we try to focus on performance.

"Just yesterday I had a conversation with the players and I love the way they are thinking. They said 'we don't want to focus on results, we want to focus on performances and how we get better, how we can improve because then the results will come'.

"Then we can speak at the end of the season about where we are, where we should have been. But now it is solution-focused, process-orientated and trying to get the best out of the players."

Brighton & Hove Albion

Here are those quotes in full from Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler on being linked with the Manchester United job:

"I'm really focused on my job here. I have no time to think about these rumours because we play every three days and, beside that, I have a lot of respect for Michael Carrick and what he has done with Manchester United the last season.

"He's a great human being, a great personality. There's nothing more to say about that."

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Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler was asked about reports that he is a potential candidate to replace Michael Carrick at Manchester United.

He says he is fully focused on his job at Brighton and has no time to think about such rumours.

Hurzeler added that he has full respect for Carrick and the job he is doing at Old Trafford.

Full quotes to follow.

Brighton & Hove Albion

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Fabian Hurzeler's Brighton have been a revelation so far this season and sit third after a string of impressive results.

The Seagulls have won their past four Premier League games, scoring 15 goals without reply, including 5-0 wins over Coventry and Crystal Palace and a 3-0 thumping of Arsenal.

Next up is a tantalising trip to Anfield to face Liverpool. The Reds are yet to win at home in the league this season but have won their past three games in all competitions.

It's another exciting test for Brighton and we'll hear what Hurzeler has had to say about it next...

Right, we are moving on from third-bottom Fulham to Brighton, who are flying high in third place after a superb start to the season...