Michael Carrick was dismissed as Manchester United manager on Thursday, just over five months after being appointed on a permanent basis, following a difficult start to the season that saw the team win only one of their opening 10 games.
Carrick had taken over from Ruben Amorim in January as caretaker manager, leading United into the Champions League with a strong second half of the campaign before being given the job permanently. However, former United goalkeeper and ex-Ajax chief executive Edwin van der Sar had cautioned against expecting an immediate return to success.
Van der Sar's Warning
Speaking to talkSPORT, Van der Sar praised Carrick's early impact. "I think what Michael brought was stability, clarity, got some players in, played a lot of times the same team and formation that was recognisable for the fans," he said.
"I think the performances that he put on, the results that he got, the board and directors took their time to look at options. They saw how things developed, saw what the players looked like, and probably had some contact with Bruno and some established players to make up their mind. And, yeah, I'm very happy for Michael that he got the opportunity to do it on a permanent basis."
But Van der Sar identified a key concern for the summer and beyond. "The big thing is Casemiro leaving, which will leave them a big gap in midfield," he added. "I think the last year and a half, the appreciation for him and his career has been immense, so that will be a headache."
Midfield Overhaul and Struggles
Casemiro subsequently joined Inter Miami, and United moved to reshape their midfield. Youri Tielemans arrived from Aston Villa for £35m but has been inconsistent, Andrey Santos joined from Chelsea for £50m and has looked a squad player at best, and Carlos Baleba eventually signed from Brighton for £70m towards the end of August but has suffered injury issues.
The warning has proved accurate. United have scored 14 goals in their opening 10 games, the same number as fourth-placed Liverpool, but a midfield without Casemiro has struggled to protect the defence, leaving the team with more goals conceded than anyone else except bottom-placed Crystal Palace.
Dismissal After Five Months
With only one win in their opening 10 games, Carrick was dismissed on Thursday, just over five months after being made permanent boss. His former team-mate had warned things would not be easy this season.
