Youri Tielemans has urged the Manchester United board to maintain their confidence in Michael Carrick, asserting that he has what it takes to turn the situation around.
Carrick remarkably held onto his position on Tuesday following widespread speculation that he would be dismissed in the aftermath of two severely damaging defeats. United were hammered by Como and AFC Bournemouth in rapid succession, raising serious questions about Carrick's tenure.
United's hierarchy considered bringing in Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann or Antonio Conte as his successor before opting to stand behind Carrick for the time being. He now faces a pivotal clash against Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.
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The squad has secured victories in just two of their 12 outings across all competitions and currently sits 16th in the Premier League standings, having accumulated a mere seven points from their opening eight fixtures. This represents United's worst start to a league season in 40 years, yet Tielemans remains firmly convinced that Carrick is the right man to lead the club.
"I came here partly because of him, because he wanted me here," he told TNT Sports , as per The Mirror . "He wanted me to help the team out. So I'm very happy for him to stay, and the whole group, we don't want a sudden change.
"We don't want a big change that is going to disrupt things more than they are. We just need stability, we need to keep working hard, and it's going to turn at some point."
United's only two victories this season have come against newly-promoted Ipswich Town and UEFA Champions League outsiders Sabah. They have managed just one clean sheet all campaign and are currently enduring an eight-game run without a win.
Their current form stands in sharp contrast to last season under Carrick, who turned the club's fortunes around after being named interim boss in January following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim. Tielemans was acquired for £35 million ($46.8 million) from Aston Villa during the summer transfer window and has relished working under him, despite the disappointing results.
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"Since I've come in, he's always done his work," the Belgium international added. "He's tried to put a system in place that we all feel comfortable in. I joined this summer, because he convinced me to come over and help the team out.
"I can only speak positively about him, and everyone in the changing room would do the same. We all just need to stick together and turn this situation around."
Carrick's efforts have been undermined by public outbursts from Lisandro Martínez and Bruno Fernandes in recent weeks, suggesting tension within the camp. Carrick held clear-the-air talks with United captain Fernandes this week, and Tielemans believes the squad remains united in its goals.
"Everyone is like they are. It's just a case of trying to do that in the right tone, the right moment," he said. "There has been a lot of talk about it, obviously, so I'm not going to go into this much further. But it shows that everyone cares. We all want to turn these things around.
"We want to win games. We're all winners, and when frustration builds up, you might have different words and different opinions, which is totally normal. As long as it stays in the group, that's the best part."
