Michael Carrick admits Manchester United’s Bournemouth defeat ‘hurts an awful lot’

Michael Carrick said Manchester United’s 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth was painful and accepted that his side had failed to provide the response supporters were seeking.

United’s winless run continued at Old Trafford on Sunday, with a second consecutive heavy loss leaving the players and fans frustrated. Carrick said the tension inside the stadium was clear as his team struggled to recover from a difficult afternoon.

“You could feel there was a bit of anxiety and tension,” Carrick said. “The boys went out with the best intentions to try and put in a performance and get a result, but it was one of those where it didn’t quite come.”

The Manchester United head coach also questioned the free-kick given against Ayden Heaven in the build-up to one of Bournemouth’s goals. He defended Leny Yoro after the young defender’s costly mistake, insisting it should not define his future.

“Leny’s slip, obviously, is unfortunate; it happens,” Carrick said. “He’s got a huge future. Leny’s a fantastic player and he’s made a mistake today and he’s feeling it, but he shouldn’t because he’s going to be a top, top player.”

Carrick said those incidents could not be used to explain away the result, with United needing to accept responsibility for their current position.

The home side had been unable to find a way back into the contest when Bournemouth scored their third goal, which effectively ended any realistic prospect of a comeback.

“The fans were there waiting for us to get something in the game,” Carrick said. “If we’d have got one chance, one goal, they would have been right there with us, and we just couldn’t find that moment. Then the third goal is a killer goal.”

The defeat left United’s players visibly downcast. Carrick said those he spoke to afterwards were finding it difficult to deal with another setback.

“They’re really disappointed and hurting in there,” he said. “It’s not a nice feeling when you see that disappointment. But it is what it is; you’ve got to accept it, and that’s the situation we’re in at the moment.”

Carrick, who spent much of his playing career at Manchester United, admitted the result carried a particular personal weight.

“It’s really difficult for me to have a day like this at this football club and to feel the emotion and the dynamics of what it was like today,” he said. “I feel a lot of responsibility, so it hurts an awful lot to see us going through this at this moment in time.”

He thanked supporters for their backing but acknowledged that United’s performances and results had not been good enough.

“I certainly appreciate the support,” he said. “The situation is where we are: we haven’t had results and we haven’t had performances that have been good enough. There’s no hiding from it.”

Carrick would not speculate on what may happen next, saying only that his priority remained Manchester United.

“I’ll always do what’s best for this football club,” he said. “I love what I do, I love the position I’m in and I feel the responsibility, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

United now have to regroup before Saturday’s Premier League visit to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.