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So it turns out giving the supply teacher who got a tune out of the class in the final term isn't conducive to securing good grades in the long term. Michael Carrick is the supply teacher and he's just been handed a lesson by Cesc Fabregas. The Red Devils were exposed in the swirling northern Italian rain, and on the banks of Lake Como, Carrick's tenure continues to sink. While he did offer up an apology to the travelling fans after the bruising defeat, his actions - or rather, lack thereof - towards the players spoke a thousand words.
Shortly after holding his hands up towards the away section at Como's Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium, the United boss turned and burned. He went straight down the tunnel, crucially offering no acknowledgement or appreciation to his players, cutting the figure of a man who knows his time is running out.
They were soundly beaten by the Champions League newbies. Nico Paz opened up the scoring in the first half, and despite second-half changes, United continued to suffer at the hands of their Italian opponents.
A further three goals came for the hosts in the second period, and while Joshua Zirkzee netted late on, it was firmly too little, too late. It means United have just two wins from 11 matches this season, and if the crisis klaxon hadn't been sounded beforehand, it certainly has now.
When asked about his gesture towards the fans, Carrick said: "I care an unbelievable amount about the supporters. They are the heartbeat of this football club and they always will be. For them to travel, I had to apologise for the performance. To have to watch a performance like that, I totally feel for them. There are no excuses at all. It is not acceptable."
Having negotiated a potential problem last weekend with Lisandro Martinez's comments on the club's recruitment, Carrick - should he avoid the sack - will have to deal with the fallout from Bruno Fernandes' public statement.
Speaking to TNT Sports, he remarked: "It's a decision from the staff to not press man to man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball... That (whether Carrick and the staff got their tactics wrong)'s on the manager and staff to see, not me."
United need results, and fast. Their task this weekend is against a Bournemouth side who haven't impressed this season, but still have plenty of individual quality. Having been knocked out of the Carabao Cup, it's a midweek off before the Old Trafford outfit travel to Chelsea for the early kick-off on Saturday, October 31.
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