Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville has called for Michael Carrick to be sacked following the club’s 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth, suggesting the decision could benefit both the manager and the club.

United’s defeat on Sunday left them 16th in the Premier League table, just one point above the relegation zone. Despite growing pressure on Carrick, the club have decided to retain the 45-year-old ahead of Saturday’s trip to Chelsea.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast on Thursday, Neville suggested United’s decision-makers might have struggled to agree on Carrick’s future and identify a suitable replacement.

“I reckon what’s happened in the 24 hours after Bournemouth is that they’ve literally debated it back and forth,” Neville said.

“I don’t know this, but they’ve debated it to the point where they’ve got themselves into a muddle, and thought, ‘we’ll just stay with him’.”

Neville, who had a brief managerial spell at Valencia, said dismissing a struggling manager could sometimes be in the best interests of both parties.

“Sometimes a manager needs sacking for their own good. I needed sacking at Valencia. I was happy that they put me out of my misery,” he added.

Carrick’s position has also come under scrutiny following tensions with captain Bruno Fernandes, who criticised United’s tactics after their 4-1 defeat to Como in the Champions League last week.

Fernandes was dropped for the Bournemouth match, but he and Carrick have since held talks to resolve their differences.

Neville suggested the captain’s public criticism could reflect wider dissatisfaction within the dressing room.

“If Bruno Fernandes, the captain of the club, comes out and questions the manager’s tactics after a 4-1 defeat in Como, where he’s played like a drain, and he’s been playing like a drain for three months, and the rest of them have as well, that is only 1 or 2% of what they’re actually saying internally,” he said.

The former defender also described supporters singing Carrick’s name as he applauded them after the Bournemouth defeat as “effectively a farewell lap”.

However, United fans booed the players as they left the pitch and headed down the tunnel, highlighting the frustration surrounding the team’s performances.

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