Michael Carrick has been dismissed as Manchester United manager after just 15 games of his two-year contract, having won only three of them. The decision follows a troubled summer transfer window and a run of poor results that left the club's board divided over a replacement.
Pre-season warning signs
The first hint of trouble came during pre-season, when Carrick kept a low profile on trips around Europe. Many established players were absent, and those put forward to speak to the media were described as low-key or shy. Carrick himself avoided sitting down with external journalists until the club's trip to Dublin, where he said, "We want more, we need more," regarding transfers.
He received one more signing, a £70million deal for Carlos Baleba, which completed a midfield rebuild but nothing else. Privately, Carrick shared Lisandro Martinez's view that he had been let down in the summer, although Martinez's explosive TV interview in Madrid fractured the dressing room and made Carrick's job harder.
Season unravels
The campaign began with optimism, with momentum from the previous season and a kind fixture list. Hull City should have been a routine opener, but United wilted and things unravelled from there. United looked second-best physically in games, and it took a defeat to Como for Carrick to acknowledge the issue and criticise the players.
United had a longer pre-season than their rivals and stayed at Carrington during the week, which may have led to complacency. The squad appeared short of the physical levels of their rivals, and the longer run-in to the first weekend of the season proved a hindrance rather than a help.
Carrick's record and character
Carrick had been appointed in May after winning 12 and drawing three of his 17 Premier League games in charge as caretaker. He lasted just 15 games into his contract, winning only three. Former teammates described him as "horizontal," meaning laid-back, and criticism washed over him easily.
Yet he clearly cared deeply. By the end, he looked like a broken man, and he made every decision with the club at heart rather than his own career. He should probably have gone after back-to-back defeats to Como and Bournemouth, but the board dithered over replacements, and he was given three games to turn it around. Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox disagreed with the signs of improvement.
Dressing room divisions and tactical issues
The dressing room continued to play for Carrick, even as his time ran out. Players left everything on the pitch against Roma and Aston Villa, and some were privately appalled by how he was treated. However, the squad was not united: long-serving members were disappointed by recruitment, while some new signings were angry at Martinez for his TV comments in Madrid.
There was no way back for Carrick after his captain criticised his tactics in Como and was then discarded against Bournemouth. Carrick never confirmed whether Fernandes apologised. Martinez apologised publicly over the timing of his comments, but not their content.
Board failures and injuries
Carrick made mistakes, including poor performances in midweek fixtures, which produced historic defeats to Brighton and Como. He also failed to show the tactical nous needed, with little ingenuity in United's set-up and suggestions to add coaching staff rejected.
He was hampered by injuries, with five different left-backs started in the first 10 games and no additional striker recruited despite knowing the only one in the building had a shin injury. Supporters saw through Berrada's bravado and Wilcox's silence, and the club has now sacked three managers in less than three years.
Carrick showed he cared, delivering a five-and-a-half-minute monologue ahead of the Bournemouth game. He saved himself that time, and United rallied from 2-0 down to Roma, but it felt like one magical European night rather than a long-term resurrection. United insisted the dithering was about developing a succession plan, but a loyal club servant deserved better than being asked to take training while the world knew he was being sacked.
