Manchester United's hierarchy should show class and give Michael Carrick more time as manager, despite the team's poor Premier League start, rather than dismissing him just ten games into his first full season.
The club's executives, including Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazers, have been criticised for their handling of the situation, with Carrick reportedly allowed to drive into training at 7.15 in the morning when his dismissal was widely expected. This has been seen as a reflection of Carrick's professionalism rather than the club's management skills.
United's Poor Start
United have eight points from their opening ten Premier League games, a rate that would see them finish the season with 30 points. The seriousness of their position is undeniable, and comparisons have been drawn with managers at Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, who would not survive such a record.
However, the argument is that United can still act with class. Carrick did a fantastic job when he took charge last season, over-achieving to a considerable extent, which has partly been his problem this season. Complacency has been a serious issue for the club since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure.
Carrick's Record
Since taking over in January, Carrick has been in charge for 32 matches across all competitions, winning 15, drawing eight, and losing nine. While not spectacular, this record is not utterly shocking.
Carrick has acknowledged that the overall standard of performances this season has been nowhere near good enough and has taken responsibility for that. However, fortune has not favoured him, with a freakish added-time strike denying a win at Everton and a VAR aberration contributing to a home defeat to Manchester City.
Support and Next Steps
There have been seriously worrying defeats, most notably to Bournemouth and Como, but even in the 4-4 draw against Aston Villa, United had more than twice as many attempts on goal as the away side and almost three times as many touches in the opposition box. The majority of supporters seem to be behind Carrick.
Having earned the permanent job with just under half a season's fine work, Carrick deserves a similar amount of time to prove he is a good long-term fit. Almost certainly, he will not get it, but at least he will stay classy.
