Manchester United's 4-1 defeat to Como may have been the final match of Michael Carrick's reign, and history suggests the club's decision-makers waste little time in pulling the trigger. The humiliating result, one of the worst in United's European history, was compounded by in-fighting, with Bruno Fernandes accusing Carrick of tactical errors and the manager responding that players did not work hard enough.
Carrick may still be given more time, but his apologetic gesture to the away end after the match suggested he feels the writing is on the wall. If that was his last game in charge, he may not have long to wait for confirmation, as United's chiefs have a track record of acting swiftly.
A History of Quick Decisions
Ruben Amorim's fate was sealed even before his final match at Leeds in January. A tense meeting with Jason Wilcox on the Friday raised concerns, and after Amorim called out the director of football in his post-match press conference, he was notified on the Monday morning, around 18 hours after the game.
Erik ten Hag, whose recent comments about a "toxic culture" in the dressing room have gained new relevance, was also dismissed on a Monday after a Sunday defeat. Following a 2-1 loss to West Ham that left United 14th in the table, Ten Hag was informed by chief executive Omar Berrada and then-sporting director Dan Ashworth.
Carrick's Predecessors
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the last pre-INEOS sacking, knew his time was up at half-time of United's 4-1 defeat at Watford. He told The Athletic: "Nobody told me, but I knew at half-time against Watford. We didn't look like a Man United team." The axe formally fell the day after when he was called into a meeting with Ed Woodward.
Jose Mourinho was shown the door almost two days after his final match, a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool that left the team 19 points off their bitter rivals. Louis van Gaal's sacking was one of the more brutal, coming less than 24 hours after he had won the FA Cup, with official confirmation on the Monday and Mourinho appointed the following day.
David Moyes, Sir Alex Ferguson's successor, was officially let go less than 48 hours after a 2-0 defeat at former club Everton, in a meeting with Woodward. However, Moyes already knew what was coming after reading of his demise in the media the day before.
