Manchester United sit 18th in the Premier League and are mired in an eight-game winless run, and as the club are expected to part company with manager Michael Carrick, former United scout Mick Brown has warned that Mauricio Pochettino or any new boss would still face the same underlying problems.
Carrick’s precarious position and poor league form
Manchester United look to be on the verge of parting with Michael Carrick, and multiple reports indicate the club are expected to end their association with the current manager. Four matches ago, after United lost 3-0 to Bournemouth, conversations began about Carrick’s position.
Following that 3-0 defeat, Carrick was given a little bit more time to potentially turn things around. Since the loss to Bournemouth, United have lost, then won, then drawn, but the overall trajectory has remained troubling.
United are currently 18th in the Premier League table and are on an eight-game streak without a win in the competition, a sequence that equals their worst run ever in the league.
Pochettino strongly linked again with United job
According to Football365, against the backdrop of Carrick’s increasingly fragile position, USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino has shot to the head of the queue of managers linked with the Manchester United job.
There are reports that clauses in Pochettino’s recent contract extension allow him to speak to some clubs. Pochettino, the former Tottenham boss, has long been linked with Manchester United but has never been given the job.
If Pochettino is appointed Manchester United manager, he will have a job on his hands to climb up the table and turn a struggling side back into a competitive one.
Mick Brown: issues go far beyond the manager
Former Manchester United scout Mick Brown believes changing the manager is not going to make a massive difference because the same issues are going to persist. He stated: "Man United have much bigger issues than Michael Carrick at the moment."
Brown argued that if United decide to sack Carrick and bring in somebody else, the new manager will be faced with the same problems which have put the club in its current position. He said: "If they decide to sack him and bring in somebody else, they’re going to be faced with the same problems which have put the club in this position to begin with."
Questioning what has changed at the club over the past season, Brown added: "What’s happened between last season, when Carrick was so successsful, and now, when they’ve fallen into the relegation zone? Because it hasn’t just happened overnight."
Squad quality, recruitment and fan disconnect criticised
Addressing the specifics of United’s situation, Brown said the players are not good enough, especially in defence, and criticised the club’s recruitment. He remarked: "Look at everything happening at the club, the players aren’t good enough especially in defence, and they’re not bringing in the right options to strengthen the squad."
Brown also highlighted a disconnect with the fans, noting that they have made their feelings very clear and that a new manager would not change their minds. He said: "Then there’s this disconnect with the fans, who have made their feelings very clear, and bringing in a new manager won’t change their minds."
Brown concluded that whoever steps into the Manchester United manager role will have to deal with all of the same issues Carrick has been dealing with. He warned: "So whoever steps into the role will have to deal with all of the same issues Carrick has been dealing with. It’s not just a quick fix, bring someone else in and it’ll all be alright."
