Michael Carrick’s tenure at Manchester United looks to be nearing its end after eight games without a win, yet the response from Old Trafford suggests a change of head coach would not settle matters. Supporters booed the players and aimed chants at the owners and senior executives. According to Bbc.com.
Carrick’s position is precarious, but Old Trafford anger reaches the boardroom
The 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth followed a 4-1 loss at Como, leaving United with eight games without a win, their worst run since 2015-16. Carrick had said “We have to be a different team on Sunday”, and cannot say whether he will be in charge for the trip to Chelsea.
Carrick accepted accountability afterwards, saying “The responsibility is mine” and that he expects nothing either way. Fans sang his name repeatedly as he left the pitch, then turned on the players, booing until Diogo Dalot departed. Many supporters appear to feel the squad is either not good enough or does not care enough.
The first anti-Glazer and anti-Sir Jim Ratcliffe songs were heard inside the opening minute. The Glazers have been unpopular since their leveraged takeover in 2005, and the debt first loaded onto the club now exceeds £1.15bn. Swiss Ramble puts the interest bill at £852m, including £37m last financial year, money fans say could have bought better players.
Ratcliffe, a boyhood United fan, became a minority shareholder on Christmas Eve 2023, which raised hopes of change. A run of decisions since has left major questions over his handling of the club. United backed Erik ten Hag after talking to alternatives, spent over £200m on players including Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Manuel Ugarte, then sacked him in October 2024.
Ten Hag told the Athletic last week that the club went back on a promise not to sell Scott McTominay to fund Ugarte’s £50m move. Ruben Amorim was later persuaded to leave Sporting mid-season, endured a 15th-place finish and a loss to League Two Grimsby, and was sacked in January after clashing with Jason Wilcox over playing style.
Director of football Wilcox heard obscenities aimed at him during the game and boos as he left the stadium. Many fans blame the 55-year-old for recent recruitment, despite a much higher budget. Chief executive Omar Berrada, who worked with Wilcox at Manchester City, sat beside him and played no part in the Premier League proceedings against City, though fans sang about the link.
Wider grievances include a summer ticket touting investigation condemned by all major fan groups, who see it as an attempt to push out regular match-goers, which the club denies. Plans for a 100,000-capacity stadium, likely to cost more than £2bn, also drew opposition from the Stretford End, so the unrest runs deeper than results.
