Michael Carrick leaves a hero but fans boo Man United player in stunning video

Manchester United fans made their feelings clear after the club’s humiliating 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday with a viral video showing the stark contrast in the reception for Michael Carrick and his players. As the fans chanted for Carrick as he left the pitch, the chants quickly turned into loud boos as the Manchester United players followed their manager towards the tunnel.

The moment offered a glimpse of where frustration is currently heading at Old Trafford. Despite United’s lackluster results, supporters appeared to have sympathy for Carrick, who helped revive the team’s fortunes last season, with their anger towards the players unmistakable.

As he approached the tunnel, Carrick clapped his hand over his heart in appreciation of the fans who stayed to chant his name. However, once he was out of sight, the atmosphere changed. The players leaving behind him were greeted with a chorus of boos after another performance that left United supporters with little to cheer about.

The defeat has put Carrick under renewed pressure, with United languishing in 16th place in the Premier League table with seven points from eight games. They are just one point above the relegation zone and have not won a league game since beating Ipswich Town on August 30.

But the scenes at Old Trafford suggested that, for some supporters at least, the manager was not the only one to blame for the club’s problems.

WHY DID THE FANS Boo THE PLAYERS?

The contrasting reactions came after a miserable afternoon for United, who were beaten by Bournemouth after a 4-1 Champions League win at Como in midweek. The latest defeat has intensified the scrutiny of Carrick, but the reaction from fans suggested the players are also firmly in the crosshairs.

The home crowd had already shown their frustration before half-time by unfurling a giant ‘Standards’ banner featuring club icons Eric Cantona, Roy Keane and Bryan Robson. Meanwhile, Bournemouth fans taunted Carrick by chanting “You’ll be sacked in the morning”.

United’s own supporters took a different approach. Late in the game they chanted “It’s Carrick you know!” in support of the manager. But that support did little to dampen their reaction to the players once the final whistle blew.

Thousands of fans started leaving before the end of the match, especially after Evanilson scored Bournemouth’s third goal. The final whistle was met with loud boos and the anger continued as the players left the pitch. A dejected Harry Maguire looks on as Manchester United lose their match against Bournemouth. (Photo by Reuters)

Former United winger Ashley Young felt the performance reflected a team no longer responding to their manager.

“The fans get behind him and support him because he’s a legend at the football club,” Young told Sky Sports.

“But the players on the field didn’t show anything. They didn’t run, they didn’t look like a team together. You could see today that it was like they gave up.”

Former United defender Gary Neville offered a different interpretation of the fans’ support, suggesting that their chants for Carrick reflected an awareness that his position was under threat.

“The Manchester United fans are singing the Michael Carrick song because I think they know what’s going to happen here,” Neville said.

DID BRUNO’S BENCH ADD TO THE CHAOS?

Carrick’s position became a major point of discussion even before kick-off, with captain Bruno Fernandes retiring to the bench after publicly criticizing the team’s tactics following the defeat at Como.

Fernandes questioned United’s decision to sit back rather than press aggressively against the Italian side, claiming the approach gave the opposition too much time and space on the ball.

“The coaching staff decided not to press man-to-man but instead to sit back and see how to win the ball; but the problem is that you give confidence to teams like that when you give them that space,” Fernandes told TNT Sports.

The Portuguese midfielder also suggested that United need to be bolder and take more risks by pressing higher up the pitch.

Carrick insisted ahead of Sunday’s game that leaving Fernandes out was a “pure footballing” decision, although the timing of the omission inevitably attracted attention following the midfielder’s comments. TV cameras repeatedly showed Fernandes looking horrified as United took on Bournemouth.

On the pitch, the home side offered little evidence that the changes had helped. Rayan opened the scoring in the 38th minute and Marcus Tavernier doubled Bournemouth’s lead by half-time. Evanilson then took advantage of a disastrous goalkeeping error to make it 3-0 after Senne Lammens raced out of his area and misjudged a long ball.

It was a fitting end to a performance in which United looked disorganized and vulnerable as they struggled to muster a serious response.

WHAT NEXT FOR CARRICK?

Carrick refused to offer any certainty about his future following the defeat, insisting he would continue with business as usual and accept responsibility for the results.

“Of course I take responsibility,” he said. “Whatever happens, in terms of results, whether we win, lose, draw, whatever happens… the responsibility is on me.”

Asked if he expected to be sacked in the coming days, Carrick said he did not expect any concrete decision.

“I completely understand the situation. To be honest, I don’t expect anything in particular. I’m carrying on as normal and I love this place,” he said.

Michael praised Old Trafford support today — Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 25, 2026

“I always do what I feel is best for the football club, whatever the decision is.

Carrick also insisted that his gesture to the supporters was not intended as a farewell, instead describing it as an expression of appreciation for their support.

“No, not from me…just appreciating the fans and what they showed me,” he said.

The manager’s predicament is particularly striking given the turnaround he oversaw last season after replacing Ruben Amorim. Carrick helped guide United to third place and Champions League qualification, but the team have struggled to carry that momentum into the new campaign.

Stand-in captain Harry Maguire insisted the dressing room stood behind the manager, while admitting the players had not done enough.

“We are fully behind Michael (Carrick),” Maguire said. “He turned things around when he came into the team last season and won the Champions League this season. We are not playing well as individuals.

Maguire also urged his teammates to take responsibility for their performances, saying that representing Manchester United requires them to prove their worth every day.

The support from the stands offered some comfort to Carrick in an afternoon when his future came under scrutiny once again. But the boos directed at the players were a reminder that the frustrations at Old Trafford extend beyond the ground.

Whether this support will be enough to protect Carrick remains uncertain. But the scenes made it clear that a growing section of United’s support want the players to account for a season that has gone badly wrong.

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