Manchester United have finally chosen to make a change by sacking Ruben Amorim. Michael Carrick was not considered a long-term player for the team, but he has a serious case
Michael Carrick’s immediate impact as Man United manager makes him impossible to ignore (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA, Getty Images)
It is a touch of irony that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has to set aside the bulk of the £16 million to pay a small number of foreign workers, given his opposition to Britain being “colonized by settlers”. Ruben Amorim and his backroom staff could be owed £15.9m after being sacked by Manchester United, according to the club’s latest financial figures.
These kinds of numbers are common in elite football, but that doesn’t mean they’re disconcerting. Approximately £16 million as a thank you to the coach and his colleagues who thought Koby Mainu was not a player.
One wonders what the long-serving day-to-day staff, whom Ratcliffe has downsized on basic terms, will think when they read about the property appropriated by Amorim and his friends. It’s not Amorim’s fault. If the club is smart enough to offer the type of contract that offers this much compensation, you don’t look like a gift horse in the mouth.
However, one wonders whether the position of manager, or even head coach, is overly exaggerated in elite football. Michael Carrick came in and did a great job. But it’s a very simple job.
He chose the team that most people would have chosen and stuck with it. Round pegs, round holes, very simple tactical blueprint.
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His substitutions were predictable, almost as predictable as his pregame and postgame comments. He goes to watch the youth team’s games, remains relatively calm in the technical area, and does not continue to beat his chest even after the team wins the match.
After the match, players are given a day off. Everything is simple and beautiful. And this is exactly what Manchester United need. Initially, it was natural to think of this short-term contract as a trial period for Carrick, a trial period with simple goals.
Ruben Amorim failed to find a consistent winning formula in Manchester (Image: Getty Images)
Either you can qualify for the Champions League and keep your job, or you can’t qualify for the Champions League and lose your job. But over six games, Carrick established himself – albeit in a very obvious way – as the ideal person to take on the long-term role.
Coincidentally, qualification for the Champions League should be achieved. United could move into third place if they beat Crystal Palace today, but given their light workload between now and the end of the season, they should stay there. Carrick have a very healthy team, a very talented team that has been assembled at a very high cost. He just needs to send them out in a formation they are comfortable with and can enjoy the results.
Again, it’s really simple. It’s not the £15.9 million one. There is a school of thought that Carrick is lucky to be in this position after Middlesbrough’s failed bid for promotion to the Premier League, and even luckier if he gets the job next season.
Man United bosses have no choice but to consider Michael Carrick as a long-term solution (Image: Getty Images)
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However, as he goes through his normal days without incident, he actually puts himself in an advantageous position in negotiations. Amorim caused chaos with many sacrifices. Carrick is causing a lot of cheap normalcy.
Old Trafford’s policy will be to carry out a thorough process when identifying their next long-term manager (even if it is long-term). But the best man for the job is visibly out there. No hype, no drama, just what Manchester United need.
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