INEOS hierarchy makes a mockery of their ‘best in class’ claims as Michael Carrick’s future hangs in the balance

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick has arrived at Carrington for Tuesday’s training session, remaining in his position for now as uncertainty continues to surround his future.

The Englishman arrived at the training ground as normal at 07:15 GMT, with neither he nor his coaching staff having been informed that their services are no longer required, according to BBC journalist Simon Stone.

The Athletic reported last night that Manchester United were set to sack Carrick, with David Ornstein, Laurie Whitwell, and Adam Crafton reporting the story.

It has now been decided that Carrick’s future will be discussed at a meeting involving owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, alongside chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox.

The meeting is scheduled to take place in Monaco on Wednesday.

Carrick’s position has remained precarious in recent weeks, with United currently languishing in 18th place in the Premier League. It is the first time the club have been in the relegation zone this late in a season since Sir Alex Ferguson took the reins on November 6, 1986.

With Mauricio Pochettino reportedly the leading candidate to take charge, another appointment would represent a fourth change in managerial philosophy in less than three years.

How many attempts do INEOS need before they finally get it right?

Whether you are Carrick in, Carrick out or undecided, INEOS’s treatment of a club legend has been nothing short of disgraceful.

The head coach has been hung out to dry throughout the season. He was not given nearly enough backing during the summer as United embarked on yet another rebuild. Having dragged the side to a third-place finish, collecting 39 points from 17 games—more than any other team during that period—fans were giddy with the prospect that a former player could help return the club to the glory days of years gone by.

After United’s 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth, many supporters believed they had seen Carrick in the dugout for the final time. While that has not proved to be the case, the Englishman has continued to receive little in the way of public backing from the hierarchy.

Instead, he has been left to carry on as normal, with Tuesday’s training session taking place despite the uncertainty surrounding his position. He has received no clarity on his future and is now expected to wait until later this week to discover whether he will remain in charge.

The leak emerged on Monday. Carrick will take training on Tuesday. The meeting between senior executives is scheduled for Wednesday, and he will finally learn his fate on Thursday.

To describe INEOS as “best in class” is an insult to class itself. You should not expect to see a club legend treated this way at a lower-league side in the English football pyramid, let alone at one of the biggest clubs in the world.

Carrick will still be expected to depart, whether he remains in charge for the Liverpool game or not. Results have simply not been good enough this season, and it is highly unlikely that he will see the campaign out.

But to drag him through the mud, leaving him painstakingly waiting for a decision that could define his managerial career, is simply unnecessary and deeply disrespectful.