IT HAS allegedly been a week of “hard truths” at Manchester United.
Six difficult days of airing out tensions, crunch talks at every level and frank exchanges in the name of the greater good.
But there is one truth that nobody inside Old Trafford can talk their way around.
Boss Michael Carrick needs a result. And he needs one now.
Because all the uncomfortable conversations and dressing-room finger-pointing will mean nothing at all if the Red Devils cannot break this shameful eight-game winless streak.
All will be revealed on the Stamford Bridge pitch.
United — 16th in the Prem table just two points off the bottom — head to Chelsea for the lunchtime fixture, desperate to offer their downbeat manager a lifeline and drag themselves away from the relegation zone.
For once, Carrick has offered a glimpse into the talks he has with the men who are on the verge of axing him in CEO Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox.
Clubman Carrick never airs dirty laundry, especially with regard to internal dialogue, but clearly felt compelled to stress that he has stuck up for himself before the trip to West London.
The under-fire coach said: “It’s not always rosy with nice conversations between anyone.
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“Whether that’s me and the players, whether that is between me, Jason or Omar or the owners. It’s the truth, it’s the hard truth at times and it’s what we need to move forward.”
But supporters have heard this all before. Countless times.
The promises of a “different response” from underperforming players who might finally start showing up for their battered and bruised dugout.
Bruno Fernandes used to go to war for Old Trafford’s struggling managers.
Now the United captain looks infected by the same disease.
Fernandes, 32, and Carrick were at loggerheads before the reigning Premier League player of the year questioned the tactics after the 4-1 Como capitulation last week.
They held the second “hard truth” chat of the week after Carrick left the midfielder on the bench for Sunday’s 3-0 home drubbing by Bournemouth.
The pair aired their views before a wider squad debrief between players and coaches triggered further frosty back-and-forths away from the Amazon documentary cameras.
Minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who dialled in for Monday’s tense boardroom sit-down before deciding to give Carrick a stay of execution, will know if talk is futile when he sits in the Blues’ directors’ box today.
United have not won away since the final day of last season at Brighton, when everything seemed dreamy before Carrick signed a two-year deal.
The British billionaire is being tipped to swing his axe toward Wilcox and Co, should a third manager be sacked under Ineos’ 2½-year watch.
The blame game has surely kicked off between Ratcliffe and the majority-owning Glazer family, who sold off the sporting operations of the biggest football club in the world to a group whose other soccer teams — Nice and Lausanne — were falling apart.
Fans gave the board the hardest truth when the Stretford End cheered for Carrick before uncorking deafening boos at the players once the gaffer was out of sight down the tunnel.
They know the soap opera is beyond Carrick’s remit.
Just £163million with add-ons was spent on four players in the summer meaning that United were outspent by new boys Hull (£179.3m) and Ipswich (£210.6m).
And despite being £1.1BILLION in debt, Ratcliffe is still focused on building a shiny new ground.
But Old Trafford sang: “You can stick your new stadium up your arse” in the club’s last Prem outing.
The £4.5bn valuation the AWOL Glazers put on the club when seeking a buyer four years ago is looking more unrealistic than ever.
The Glazers, for their part, may want to see United’s new Wembley of the North built before selling — but that may not be completed until 2035.
The hardest truth of all.
Roy Keane bashed the players for downing tools under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2021.
A decade ago Carrick, then vice-captain, warned it was “disrespectful” to accuse the players of not trying hard enough during Louis van Gaal’s eight-game winless run.
Now in the hotseat, Carrick matched that unwanted record on Sunday and nine matches without a victory would break the 38-YEAR mark.
Carrick had a rare clear week after Brighton knocked them out of the League Cup at the first time of asking last month.
Extended time on the training ground proved vital in the second half of last campaign’s successful one-match per week run.
In a rare boost, Kobbie Mainoo has returned to the grass.
The Red Devils have not won a match without the England midfielder, 21, in the starting line-up in 2026.