Manchester United have had plenty of bad afternoons at Old Trafford in the post-Ferguson era, but Sunday’s 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth may go down as one of the lowest. Goals from Rayan, Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson sent the Cherries home comfortable winners, the home crowd booed the players off, and the question hanging over the club this morning is no longer whether there is a crisis, but how far it goes.

The numbers are stark. United have won just one of their opening eight Premier League matches, a home win over Ipswich back on August 30, and are now winless in eight games across all competitions. Seven points from eight games leaves them 16th in the table, their worst league start since the 1986-87 season, the campaign that ended with Ron Atkinson being sacked and Sir Alex Ferguson walking through the door.

How the afternoon unravelled

The build-up was dominated by one decision. Michael Carrick left captain Bruno Fernandes on the bench, days after the Portuguese publicly criticised the team’s tactics following a chastening 4-1 Champions League defeat away at Como. Carrick insisted the call was purely a football one. Whatever the reasoning, Fernandes warmed up but never got on, and United looked lost without their chief creator.

Carrick also changed shape, going with three centre-backs and asking Harry Maguire to step into midfield when United had the ball, while Diogo Dalot tucked inside. The result was a narrow, disjointed side that left acres of space out wide, exactly where Bournemouth’s wingers love to operate.

The goals were self-inflicted. On 38 minutes, Ayden Heaven’s reckless, studs-up challenge on Evanilson gave away a free-kick, and Rayan was left completely unmarked to finish at the near post. Five minutes later, Leny Yoro slipped while trying to play the ball back to his goalkeeper, Adrien Truffert pounced, and Tavernier made it 2-0 before half-time.

Youri Tielemans, handed Fernandes’ role, lost the ball repeatedly in dangerous areas and picked up a needless booking before being hooked at the break for Matheus Cunha. Bryan Mbeumo barely got a touch in the Bournemouth box, with his one clear chance parried away by Djordje Petrovic. Evanilson had a goal ruled out for offside just after the restart before finally adding the third on 71 minutes, rounding Senne Lammens after the goalkeeper came off his line to a Lewis Cook pass he never reached.

Carrick’s future hangs by a thread

Chants calling for Carrick to go started as soon as the first goal went in, though the Stretford End did sing in his support. The anger was also aimed higher up, at director of football Jason Wilcox and the Glazer family.

Afterwards, Carrick admitted the defeat was painful to watch and spoke of mixed emotions. He was keen to stress that the lap of the pitch he made with his players at full-time was not a goodbye, but he also conceded he did not know what would happen next, saying he would always do what was best for the club. Maguire was blunter, calling the performance “nowhere near good enough.”

It is a dramatic fall. Only five months ago Carrick was handed a permanent contract after steadying the ship. Now, with reports in Italy earlier this month linking Antonio Conte with the job, the hierarchy faces a decision it hoped it would not have to make again so soon.

Where do United go from here?

1. Settle the Fernandes situation, fast. Whatever the rights and wrongs of his public comments, United do not have another player who can do what Fernandes does. A captain and manager at odds is untenable. Either the two clear the air in private and move on together, or the club has to accept that one of them will not be here much longer.

2. Go back to basics defensively. All three goals came from individual errors: a rash foul, a slip and a goalkeeper caught in no man’s land. Tactical experiments mean little if the fundamentals are this shaky. A simpler, more familiar structure that protects a young back line would be a sensible starting point.

3. Make a clear call on the manager. The worst outcome is drift. If INEOS and the football leadership still believe in Carrick, they need to say so publicly and back him through a brutal run of fixtures. If they do not, the change should come now rather than after another month of damage. Mid-season changes have rarely fixed United’s deeper problems, so whoever is in charge needs time and a clear plan.

4. Look at the bigger picture. This is not only about one manager. United have cycled through coaches, styles and expensive signings for more than a decade, and the frustration directed at Wilcox and the owners shows supporters know it. Without a joined-up recruitment strategy and a squad built for a single, coherent way of playing, the next appointment risks becoming the next sacking.

The fixtures will not wait

There is little time to regroup. United travel to Chelsea on Saturday before home games against Aston Villa and Liverpool. On current form, that run could drag them closer to the relegation places rather than lift them towards the top half.

The next week may decide Carrick’s fate. Whatever happens, Sunday made one thing clear: United’s problems are much bigger than one bad afternoon against Bournemouth.