Michael Carrick is poised to be sacked as Manchester United manager following a summit in Monaco on Wednesday, with the club's senior figures likely to conclude his tenure at Old Trafford. United sit in the bottom three having won just one of their 10 Premier League games this season, and Carrick has been unable to find a winning formula, though many point out he has not been set up to succeed.
Ineos decisions under scrutiny
Since Ineos arrived at Manchester United in 2024, they have made a series of poor decisions, and even if results have been bad, Carrick is expected to pay the price for those continued failings. Many of the issues predate Carrick's arrival, and despite initial hopes following the longstanding Glazer problems, the direction of travel has not changed. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is now viewed much the same as the club's majority owners in America, with his lieutenants also hugely unpopular as their poor decisions stack up.
Key calls that backfired
One of the first signs of the hierarchy not sticking to their guns was the backing and then sacking of Erik ten Hag. Before the 2024 FA Cup final, all signs pointed to him being sacked, but a shock win over Manchester City caused a u-turn. After handing Ten Hag a new deal, he lasted just nine games of the following season before being dismissed.
Ruben Amorim's tenure also proved problematic, with Ineos seemingly unwilling to admit they got their first managerial appointment wrong. Amorim won just 24 of his 63 games in charge, playing a style that was never going to suit United, and he was sacked 14 months after being appointed.
PR disasters and neglected defence
Ratcliffe previously claimed United were in danger of going out of business before his cost-cutting measures, a claim that drew little agreement. Ineos have excelled in PR disasters, from cutting hundreds of jobs to removing concession ticket prices and threatening to remove season tickets from those wrongly accused of reselling them.
United's defence has not seen a major signing since Leny Yoro, with the club instead ploughing £155m into their midfield in the summer. The backline includes Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw, the latter signed when Louis van Gaal was at the club. United have now conceded more goals than any top flight team in a major European league this season.
Carrick's red flags ignored
Hiring Carrick was never part of the plan; he was a makeshift solution until the end of a troubled season. Wins over Arsenal, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Liverpool made him hard to ignore, but United had no European or domestic competitions to worry about, meaning Carrick worked with a fresh squad and had ample time to prepare for games. That was unrealistic and not a fair reflection of what was to come, and if Carrick wasn't the man long-term in January, a few statement wins shouldn't have changed that.
