Manchester United's short-term plan to appoint Darren Fletcher as caretaker after sacking Ruben Amorim is not available this time, with Michael Carrick kept on despite a heavy defeat.
Fletcher stepped into the hot seat at short notice when Amorim was dismissed in January, overseeing the first team from his role as Under-18 manager. He was joined on the bench by Jonny Evans, Travis Binnion and Craig Mawson for games against Burnley and Brighton, along with Alan Wright, who later returned to his Under-21 assistant role.
Carrick given more time
Before it was announced this week that Carrick would be given more time to turn things around, there was speculation that Fletcher might be called upon again after another sacking. The possibility existed that Fletcher, who said he never considered managing United in his "wildest dreams", could do so twice in nine months, but Carrick has been given a chance to drag United out of their current plight.
It feels like Carrick has been given a stay of execution. The hammering against Bournemouth felt like his farewell, and it seems incredibly unlikely he will be able to salvage the season from such a low ebb. The lack of a succession plan has muddied the waters and contributed to keeping Carrick in the role. There is uncertainty over permanent candidates to replace him, without mentioning that United may have nobody to take training in the short term.
Backroom staff complications
Fans have pointed at Fletcher again, but when he was appointed caretaker after Amorim's dismissal, he was supported by Evans and Binnion, who are now part of Carrick's backroom staff. If United had sacked Carrick after Bournemouth, his staff would have taken training, with Steve Holland (assistant manager), Evans (first-team coach), Binnion (first-team coach) and Mawson (goalkeeper coach) still in place.
That would not have offered separation from Carrick, so there would be no point in sacking him. The alternative United may have considered on Monday was sacking Carrick along with Holland to offer a cleaner break from the previous set-up. That would have opened the door for Fletcher to take over as caretaker again, possibly to oversee two games before a permanent hire could be finalised, but he would have required Evans, Binnion and Mawson alongside him to do the job.
Fletcher's role and future
There is deep respect for Fletcher at the club. He has worked in various roles at United since retiring as a player and is highly valued, but even he cannot single-handedly put the cones out, take the warm-up, oversee training, and tactically prepare for Chelsea. While Fletcher would never admit it publicly, it would be understandable for him to be against stepping in as caretaker again having been overlooked for the interim role in favour of Carrick.
Fletcher insisted taking the job was not something he had thought about before his first game as caretaker boss. After Brighton, he confirmed he had not had conversations and spoke of the importance of the season not being wasted. It is understood Fletcher does want to go into management, but while he is learning his way in the academy, taking the United job for his first management role is not realistic, even as a former player.
Fletcher may still be willing to act as caretaker if Carrick is sacked, but his backroom staff would need to be retained for the first team to function, so the short-term plan for sacking Amorim is not available this time. That suggests United will be forced to have an immediate permanent successor for Carrick lined up if they decide to sack him. Any new appointment would have to be ready to start immediately, which narrows down the field in an already small pool of potential candidates.
