Man United Supporters' Trust blames ownership after Carrick sacked 10 games in

Manchester United sacked manager Michael Carrick on Thursday after just 10 Premier League games, with the club sitting in the relegation zone and having won only once in the domestic campaign. The club’s hierarchy had met minority owner Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco on Wednesday to discuss Carrick’s future before confirming the decision.

The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST) swiftly condemned the move, calling it “another depressing moment” and directing blame squarely at the club’s ownership. “The reason Manchester United fans have continued to support Michael Carrick in recent weeks is that they know that responsibility for United’s problems do not primarily rest with him or indeed his predecessors as manager,” the trust said. “They lie with the ownership.”

The official club statement described Carrick, a former United midfielder, as a “Manchester United legend” and said it had “come to the extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve our ambitions”. MUST echoed the tribute, stating that Carrick’s “standing among supporters remains undiminished” and thanking him for “restoring hope during the second half of last season”.

Mauricio Pochettino, the former Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea manager who currently manages the United States men’s national team, is reported to be in line to replace Carrick.

MUST’s statement broadened its criticism beyond the managerial change, accusing the Glazer family’s debt-funded takeover of continuing to burden the club and arguing that Ineos had failed to deliver on promises of sporting excellence. “With repeated changes in football leadership we have seen anything but,” it said, calling on owners to “explain themselves and show some accountability”.

The trust also took aim at what it described as “aggressive ticketing policies” that have “further damaged relations with supporters”, claiming fans are “being asked to pay the price for the owners’ mismanagement”.

Pointing to widespread supporter unrest, MUST warned of a deepening fracture within the club. “The unprecedented scale of the booing at Old Trafford, alongside public criticism from senior players in recent weeks, now points to a deeper deterioration,” it said. “These are signs of a club becoming more divided, with the bond between supporters, players and those running Manchester United under increasing strain.”

Defender Lisandro Martinez was among the senior players to have publicly criticised the club’s hierarchy for its handling of Carrick’s tenure.