By Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
Manchester United’s continued decline reflects deeper structural problems that go beyond Michael Carrick, highlighting the need for experienced leadership and a cultural reset at the club.
When the banter and poor form are put aside, a closer look at Manchester United’s starting XI reveals a squad that is not short of quality. So why do the club’s disappointing results continue?
Seven away games into the season, Manchester United are yet to secure a victory, equalling their worst start to a league campaign on the road, a record set during the 1973-74 season, when they were relegated from the top flight.Amid the chaos, heroes have become villains.
Michael Carrick, who led United’s resurgence after taking over from Ruben Amorim before the turn of the year, has become a frequent target of ridicule among opposition supporters, while sections of the club’s own fanbase are calling for his dismissal.
Captain Bruno Fernandes has also lost the support of many fans, just months after breaking the record for the most assists in a Premier League season and winning the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award. Nevertheless, there are understandable reasons behind the change in supporters’ sentiments.
This is the same team that collected more points than any other side in the second half of last season, a run that convinced many that United could have challenged for the league title had Carrick been in charge from the beginning of the campaign.
There was little doubt about Carrick’s ability to lead the team when he was appointed permanently in the summer. Indeed, expectations were high, with many anticipating a genuine title challenge, as the club appeared to have made significant progress in a relatively short period.
However, just nine games into the campaign, United are averaging fewer than a point per game. The once intimidating Old Trafford has become a venue where visiting teams can collect points with relative ease, with United also recording the joint third-fewest home points after four matches.
Their away form is equally concerning. They sit 18th in the away table, with three points from three draws, the same number as 19th-placed Coventry, despite having played a game more. Defensively, only three teams have conceded more than United’s 15 goals.
The situation is increasingly frustrating. And if not sooner then later, Carrick could find himself out of a job. However, the problems currently confronting him will not necessarily disappear with his departure. They could just as easily become a burden for his successor, as they have been for previous managers.
Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, Manchester United have experienced a steady decline, with the deterioration becoming particularly evident over the past six years. If the club eventually decides to part ways with Carrick, the hierarchy must examine what has changed at Old Trafford during this period and identify what needs to be restored.
What has changed at Manchester United?
Manchester United is a club built on pride, ambition and a tradition of demanding the highest standards. Following the disappointing decision to appoint David Moyes as Ferguson’s successor, the club returned to a more ruthless approach, appointing experienced managers such as Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho.
Under the two veteran coaches, United enjoyed periods of success, even if they could not replicate the achievements of the Ferguson era. Nevertheless, they remained competitive among Europe’s leading clubs and secured the Europa League title under Mourinho.
Moreso, Jose Mourinho’s 2017-18 season could also earn the club an additional Premier League title should Manchester City fail in their appeal against the financial breaches and be stripped of their titles.
When the Portuguese was dismissed midway through the 2018-19 campaign, United eventually finished sixth in the Premier League under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as interim boss, and that season marked the beginning of a period of inconsistency that has continued to define the club.
Since then, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who succeeded Mourinho, has overseen the club’s best league finishes. However, even during one his most successful campaigns, United finished third, 33 points behind champions Manchester City.
The transition from experienced managers to younger, more modern coaches has not yielded the expected results at Manchester United.
Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim both endured seasons in which United finished outside the top five. Their respective spells also contributed to a period of instability, with the club coming dangerously close to relegation during the campaign in which the two managers shared responsibility.
Michael Carrick succeeded Amorim and initially appeared to be the solution United desperately needed. However, given the direction of recent events, it is becoming increasingly clear that the underlying problems at the club have not been resolved.
There were signs that United were beginning to turn a corner before Amorim’s dismissal, but that also highlighted the fact that United, maybe, are better with veteran coaches, who are more able to manage their relationship with the board.
It is reasonable to suggest that the team might not have enjoyed the same second-half resurgence of last season under the former Sporting CP boss, but it is equally difficult to imagine that they would have fallen to their current level of performance had he remained in charge.
Manchester United’s crisis sometimes appears almost inexplicable. Decisions that seem sensible at the time can eventually expose deeper problems when their consequences become apparent.Will the next manager be worse than Carrick? Only time will tell.
Where do the Man United hierarchy go next?
For now, one of the strongest assurances the club can give itself is to appoint a proven and experienced manager if Michael Carrick is sacked. Such a decision would at least offer a better chance of avoiding some of the lowest points in the club’s history.
Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho could not reproduce the aura Ferguson commanded, partly because the club had become accustomed to the extraordinary standards established during his reign.
However, time has proven just how difficult it is to replicate that level of success, particularly in an era when rival clubs have become more established, better organised and the league increasingly competitive.
Nevertheless, neither Amorim, Ten Hag nor Carrick appears to have been the most suitable choice for a club of Manchester United’s stature when compared with managers who possess greater experience at the highest level. Recent events have only strengthened the argument that the club needs someone with a proven track record of managing elite teams and competing for major honours.
Many players in the squad have become more established at the club than the managers themselves, and this is one of the biggest challenges facing young coaches. Even Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta had to somehow take out some established players before they could build their respective Manchester City and Arsenal teams.
Carrick’s future will depend on his ability to convince the hierarchy with his performances in the coming fixtures. If he fails to do so, his departure could become inevitable. But that alone will not bring an end to Manchester United’s seemingly endless period of instability.
Appointing a more experienced manager may not guarantee an immediate return to the top, but it could put the club in a much stronger position to rebuild and rediscover its identity.
Perhaps that is what Manchester United need most at this stage.
