Manchester United, under manager Michael Carrick (right), are on an eight-match winless run in all competitions as he battles player unrest. (EPA Images pic)LONDON: Manchester United's Michael Carrick may have been thrown a managerial lifeline despite his team languishing a point above the relegation zone but Saturday's Premier League visit to Chelsea may be his last chance to arrest an alarming slump.
Carrick's side are on an eight-match winless streak in all competitions as he battles player unrest that led him to drop captain Bruno Fernandes for the 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth.
What Carrick called a "pure football" decision backfired as United imploded and tumbled to 16th, with the forlorn Fernandes watching from the bench - a defeat that piled more pressure on Carrick even as fans cheered the manager while booing the squad.
