Manchester United are deciding whether Michael Carrick should be sacked, with Jason Wilcox, the director of football, leading the review after the head coach was given the Chelsea, Roma and Aston Villa games to turn results around.

Wilcox is consulting with Omar Berrada, the chief executive, before a recommendation regarding ­Carrick is made to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who ­controls sporting policy. United are in the Premier League relegation zone and have three victories in 15 games in all competitions.

Carrick came close to being removed after the 3-0 defeat against Bournemouth on 25 October. But after Wilcox and Berrada met the following day at the training ground to discuss his position, Carrick was given the three games until the international break to prove he and the players could reverse a dismal start.

United then lost 2-0 at ­Chelsea, beat Roma 3-2 at Old ­Trafford and shared a 4-4 home draw with Villa on Sunday. In each of the matches United were uneven. At Chelsea, ­Carrick's side impressed in the first half but failed to convert chances before conceding twice after the interval, the second from a penalty after Lisandro Martínez was sent off.

In the Roma victory they were 2-0 behind in a poor opening 45 minutes before three goals in a rousing second one. On Sunday United twice trailed by two goals and entered added time 4-2 down, strikes from Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu rescuing a point.

After the Roma game Carrick urged his team to build momentum but within four minutes against Villa they were 2-0 down, continuing a pattern of conceding very early. In the 4-1 defeat at Como last month, Nico Paz scored after two minutes. This followed Pablo Barrios's opener one minute into the 2-0 defeat at Atlético Madrid the ­previous week.

If ­Carrick is removed, Eddie Howe remains Wilcox's favoured candidate. The former Newcastle manager is taking a break from the game but would be open to considering the job.