Carrick sack is just the start: Who Man Utd must get rid of next
Michael Carrick time at Manchester United came to an end when he was finally sacked by the Old Trafford club on Wednesday.
It was an ugly affair from the perspective of the Premier League giants, but one that was in keeping with much of their season and, indeed, much of the club’s recent history.
The writing had been on the wall for Carrick for days, if not weeks, but instead of putting him out of his misery, United kept dragging him into training to be paraded in front of the world media.
Even when it became apparent that talks were being held with Mauricio Pochettino over the prospect of replacing him, the Manchester side stuck by him. Until now.
Man Utd's problems run far deeper than Michael Carrick
Carrick, for his faults, represents only the very tip of the iceberg of Manchester United’s problems.
What was once a great club has descended into shambles, riven with division and wholly unsuited to competing at the top end of the Premier League due to a rotten sporting culture.
United’s problem is that there is not one part of the organisation that is clearly functioning well. From the owners to the directors to the players, everything is a disaster.
When Sir Jim Ratcliffe secured a minority takeover from the Glazers in February 2024, he swept in promising a change of culture.
There were concerns at that time that United’s dressing room was toxic. Bruno Fernandes’ outburst against Carrick following the defeat against Como in the Champions League shows that at least some elements of this persist.
Yet the cultural issues at Old Trafford have only grown broader. Ratcliffe himself has been responsible for many of these, with his cash-cutting measures, which include ending free lunches for staff and cancelling the Christmas party, often a PR disaster.
Such issues could have been brushed aside with on-field success, yet with United facing a genuine relegation battle as they sit in the bottom three, this has clearly not arrived.
Jim Ratcliffe and Man Utd's directors must take responsibility
And it was under Ratcliffe’s watch that the directors primarily responsible for the footballing fortunes of the club were appointed. Sporting director Jason Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada have proven deeply unpopular figures among Man Utd fans for presiding over a number of difficult transfer windows.
It was Wilcox and Berrada who left Carrick with his hands tied this season.
When United went into the summer transfer window, it was recognised that they needed four signings at the very least to be competitive domestically and in Europe. When Manuel Ugarte suffered a serious injury during the World Cup, that rose to five.
The manager was presented with only three, all central midfielders. United’s chronic lack of depth at left-back and in attack has told, with injury problems serving to magnify the underlying issues in the squad.
Sacking Carrick won't solve Man Utd's biggest problems
Man Utd’s biggest problem is that there are so many problems. Carrick’s crimes were no greater than being a figurehead who also happened to be the most easily replaced.
Mauricio Pochettino may fare marginally better than his predecessor, but unless the underlying weakness of the leadership is dealt with, United will remain incapable of consistently returning to their place in the top six, let alone challenge for the honours that once they were accustomed to.
