The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell has dropped a huge update on Manchester United’s search for a possible replacement for Michael Carrick as Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Red Devils directors enjoy their human shield.

Many assumed Carrick was done after the 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford followed the 4-1 Champions League humiliation at the hands of Como.

But crisis talks between Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Jason Wilcox, Christopher Vivell and Omar Berrada granted him a ‘stay of execution’.

The blame for the 2-0 defeat to Chelsea could be laid almost entirely at the door of Lisandro Martinez, which meant no change of tack was necessary – they would wait for the international break to make a decision on his future.

The 3-2 comeback win over Roma has eased the tension at Manchester United and the pressure on Carrick.

And although Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann are thought to be the frontrunners him, Whitwell has revealed that they’re not “advancing” in talks with alternatives, hinting that Carrick’s “got the job” for an extended period.

“They [United chiefs] decided to give him to the international break, a chance to turn things around,” he said on the Stretford Paddock YouTube channel.

“Not to say they’d make a change during the break, but to reassess at that point…

“I’m not aware of anything advancing with any other candidates, even in just honing in on potential successors.

“It would suggest that Carrick’s got the job.”

Asked if the fans’ support for Carrick is impacting the decisions made by the club hierarchy, Whitwell suggested Ratcliffe, Wilcox and Omar Berrada are reticent to remove a man shielding them somewhat from criticism.

He said: “I would say that ultimately the supporters’ reactions is feeding into what they do.

“If they take Carrick out of this situation then there’s nowhere else to go but to the people making the calls and we’ve seen the animosity in the two home games.

“That would point the spotlight solely on the people making the changes and I think that does come into it.”

On whether Wilcox and Berrada are to blame for United’s poor work in the summer transfer market, Whitwell added: “Wilcox and Berrarda clearly had to work to a budget. You can’t get away from that, and [they] aren’t the ones saying we’ve got this amount of money to spend.

“It’s in the context of the football club – the Glazer debt, recruitment being bad prior to this point.

“That’s where they’ve got sympathy, but within that there’s questions to be asked about certain decisions they made and ways conversations happen with agents, sporting directors – and I’ve canvassed enough opinions in the industry to bring me to a point of understanding the situation.”