United hierarchy admits manager change may not fix deeper problems as Carrick faces sack

Manchester United’s senior leadership is expected to recommend the sacking of head coach Michael Carrick when co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe meets chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox in Monaco on Wednesday — yet the club’s own hierarchy has reportedly conceded that replacing the manager may not be enough to turn the season around.

United sit in the Premier League relegation zone after just one win from their opening ten league games, a run that has placed Carrick’s position under sustained scrutiny. Despite that, club sources indicate that bosses have not rushed into a decision for three reasons: the crowd has not turned on the manager, the squad has not lost faith in him, and — most significantly — there is internal doubt that a managerial change alone will solve problems that run deeper than the dugout.

Carrick returned to the club’s Carrington training base on Tuesday with the expectation that his dismissal is imminent. He was appointed on a permanent basis in the summer after guiding United back into the Champions League last season, but a sequence of damaging results has eroded confidence at boardroom level.

Since being given a stay of execution two weeks ago following defeats to Como and Bournemouth, United lost to Chelsea, came from two goals down to beat Roma in the Champions League, and then drew 4-4 with Aston Villa on Sunday. A new manager is expected to be in the dugout when United travel to Anfield to face Liverpool after the international break.

USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino is understood to be emerging as a frontrunner for the role. Although Pochettino recently signed a new contract with the United States national team, a release clause is reported to make a move more straightforward.

The board’s private admission adds weight to criticism that has been building from within the squad. Defender Lisandro Martinez publicly challenged the club’s transfer strategy after the Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid, saying: “I expected more from the top, from above, to bring more players to compete.” Martinez later apologised for the remarks but also took aim at the club’s technical director, adding: “I expected more from our technical director. I have to be honest.”

The convergence of a struggling squad, a divided fanbase, and a hierarchy that appears uncertain whether structural change will follow any managerial appointment paints a troubling picture for United as they head into the international break rooted to the bottom three.