Michael Carrick was dismissed as Manchester United head coach on Thursday, November 12, after a dismal run that left the club 18th in the Premier League with just one win from ten matches. Reports now detail the explosive dressing room rants he directed at his players when performances pushed him over the edge.
Despite publicly defending his squad in press conferences and interviews, Carrick's true frustrations emerged away from the media, though Amazon cameras filming a documentary inside the club were present. The Athletic reports that Carrick chose his moments carefully to unleash his fury.
Newcastle loss sparked first tirade
The first example came after a 2-1 away defeat to Newcastle United last season, when a last-minute goal from William Osula sealed United's loss. Carrick let rip at his players with a dressing room tirade, and United did not lose another match for the rest of the campaign.
This season began with a 2-0 away loss to Hull City, followed by a dominant 5-2 win over Ipswich Town. United looked set to record two wins in their first three matches when they led Everton 2-1 at Hill Dickinson Stadium, only for Ainsley Maitland-Niles to equalise with the last kick of the game.
Rant after Everton draw failed to spark response
Carrick reportedly tore into the squad after dropping those points, but it did not have the same effect as his previous rant at St. James' Park. Many felt he should have gone further and called out individual performances in the same way Sir Alex Ferguson would occasionally give the likes of Ryan Giggs the hairdryer treatment.
United failed to win any of their next seven Premier League matches, leaving them floundering in the relegation zone. Their only victories in all competitions were the 4-0 Champions League win over Sabah and a dramatic 3-2 turnaround over Roma.
Costly dropped points and fan backlash
Carrick's side dropped costly points while leading Tottenham 1-0 at Old Trafford, with Spurs also reduced to ten men after Rodrigo Bentancur's red card. Other poor results included a 1-1 away draw with a Fulham side in the relegation zone and a home defeat in the Manchester Derby against City, when United struggled after their rivals went down to ten men before emerging as 1-0 winners.
There were also claims Carrick had exchanges with other players in the dressing room, particularly when reactions from the fans began to get under their skin. When the fanbase turned on the players, Carrick did his best to keep everybody on side, delivering a rousing press conference monologue before the home clash against Bournemouth, only for United to be easily beaten 3-0.
Carrick remained for three more matches, which saw him lose 2-0 away to Chelsea, beat Roma 3-2 at home and draw 4-4 with Aston Villa.
