Manchester United lost 2-1 to Leeds United at Old Trafford on Monday night, their first league defeat at home to the Yorkshire club since 1981.
Michael Carrick will remain interim manager of Manchester United until the end of the season
Due diligence has not been Manchester United’s strength of late. And that is one of the main reasons why the club went through such a disastrous period of failure. United are riddled with mistakes in personnel and contracts, even more so than in the shadow of former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Just as they rushed the appointment of Ruben Amorim, even though he wanted to take over at the end of last season rather than the middle.
It’s like handing the reins to Erik ten Hag even though it was clear the job was too demanding for him.
It’s the same as re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo in the biggest contract in top-flight history just because it satisfied a vanity project at the time. Or they could decide to spend a whopping £50 million on Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain. If there’s a midfielder less capable of representing United at the highest level, point him out.
This is where the sensitive subject of Michael Carrick begins. No one understands better than him that it feels like life at Old Trafford is never far from being in jeopardy. There are whims. Then there’s United.
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The knife has been turned on him following a humiliating defeat at home to Leeds United. They were blissfully ignorant of the fact that they had lost just two of 11 games since Carrick took over as interim manager.
This performance led United to wins over Arsenal and Manchester City, leading them to third place in the table and pole position, qualifying them for the Champions League. But one defeat against the most painful enemy blows away all of the above of recent history in the minds of some critics.
Still, this is not a problem. What matters is what co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazers think.
And what they need to think about is that when United make their biggest decision, they should never take it lightly.
It was a tough night for Michael Carrick as United lost to Leeds (Image: Carl Recine, Getty Images)
Carrick has done enough to deserve to be included in the discussion of who should be the next permanent manager. The damage he has done cannot be repaired in a few months. And he hasn’t even had a full transfer window yet.
But Carrick’s success should not stop United from leaving no stone unturned when deciding who is best suited and qualified to take on world football’s toughest competition. All options should be considered. You should at least talk to all potential candidates.
Because Carrick still has administrative limitations at this level. He made mistakes such as choosing Ugarte against Leeds, not making early changes and using Benjamin Sesco instead of Brian Mbeumo in attack. And he paid the price.
But Carrick will learn from the experience. The question now is whether those running the club can break with tradition and learn from their own mistakes in recent years.
Patience is the key. United will have to wait until the end of the season to see what Carrick has achieved and who else is available. And believe that you can make the right choice.
That’s the bare minimum a supporter deserves.
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