Michael Carrick was sacked as Manchester United manager on Thursday morning, ending a spell marked by dressing-room friction and a poor run of results. United have won just one of their opening 10 Premier League games this season and went into the international break in the relegation zone.
Final weeks marked by player clashes
Carrick's final weeks at the club saw him involved in run-ins with two of his players. There was friction with Matheus Cunha following the comeback triumph over Roma, when the striker was shown a red card in stoppage time, mere minutes after United had fought back from 2-0 down to snatch a 3-2 victory.
After attempting to rush onto the pitch to join in the celebrations with his colleagues, Cunha was blocked by Carrick, who directed him back down the tunnel. It emerged that the manager was attempting to prevent further sanctions for the player, as the rules of the game prohibit players from entering the pitch immediately after the final whistle.
Fernandes benched after comments
There was also friction with club captain Bruno Fernandes. The midfielder seemed to question Carrick's approach following the 4-1 Champions League loss against Como last month. When questioned whether the game plan was incorrect, Fernandes said: "That's on the manager and staff to see, not me. Sometimes you have to be more brave under pressure, take the risk of pressing high and making them uncomfortable.
"As you saw with them [Como], the centre-back was coming to mark me in my own half. We need to do that as a team but we were unable to. A team that plays through the middle with small connections, if you give them too much time and space then they can hurt you out wide."
After these remarks, Fernandes was relegated to the bench by Carrick for the subsequent Premier League fixture, as United suffered a 3-0 defeat against Bournemouth. The manager stated that the decision was for footballing reasons. He held clear-the-air discussions with the club captain days afterwards, and the issue was deemed resolved. The 32-year-old returned to the starting XI for the Premier League fixture against Chelsea, and has featured from the off in every match since.
Pochettino expected to take over
A dramatic 4-4 draw against Aston Villa in Carrick's final game in charge wasn't enough to see United climb above either Coventry City or Nottingham Forest. Mauricio Pochettino is expected to replace Carrick in the hot seat at Old Trafford.
A broad agreement has been reached with both him and the US Soccer Federation; despite signing a new contract with the USA in the summer, a £7.5 million release clause has prompted United to make their move. Carrick was handed the role on a permanent basis in the summer after steering United into the Champions League during the latter half of last season.
