Ratcliffe set to retain Wilcox and Berrada despite United crisis

Manchester United's director of football, Jason Wilcox, and chief executive, Omar Berrada, are expected to recommend that head coach Michael Carrick be sacked, but Sir Jim Ratcliffe has no apparent intention of removing either man from his own role, according to reports relayed by Yahoo Sports and Guardian Football.

United's hierarchy faces intense scrutiny after a wretched run that has left the club 18th in the Premier League with eight points from ten matches. Sunday's 4-4 draw with Aston Villa confirmed United will spend at least a fortnight in the relegation zone during the international break.

Wilcox and Berrada concluded, after analysing Carrick's and the team's performances, that the head coach should be removed. Guardian Football reported the pair were due to meet Ratcliffe in Monaco on Tuesday to deliver that recommendation, though Yahoo Sports, citing the Telegraph's James Ducker, said the meeting would instead take place on Wednesday, when the decision to part with Carrick would be ratified.

Should Carrick depart, United would sack two managers in the same calendar year for the first time in their 148-year history.

Supporters have directed anger at both the Glazers and Ratcliffe during matches, with chants against the ownership's stewardship becoming a regular feature. Wilcox and Berrada have also faced criticism as the figures responsible for United's troubled summer recruitment and their recent run of managerial appointments.

Defender Lisandro Martinez publicly questioned the ambition of the club's top brass a few weeks ago in remarks that were seen as targeting Wilcox, though he later apologised for the comments, according to Yahoo Sports.

Wilcox and Berrada are expected to retain Ratcliffe's backing, with a change to their positions considered unlikely for now, the Telegraph reported, despite calls from some quarters for a full clearout at boardroom level. The United co-owner is understood to be placing his faith in the pair to steer the club through its current difficulties, according to the Telegraph.

Guardian Football named Mauricio Pochettino as a strong candidate to take over as head coach should Carrick be dismissed, as United's hierarchy begins to plan for its third managerial appointment of the year.

Attention now turns to the outcome of the Monaco talks and whatever appointment follows, with United still searching for a response to a position in the table that leaves them facing an extended stay in the bottom three.