Man United Supporters’ Trust underlines ‘depressing moment’ after Michael Carrick sacked

The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST) has branded Michael Carrick ’s sacking “another depressing moment” and argued the club’s problems rest primarily with its ownership, in a now-familiar plea to end the ongoing feeling of crisis at Old Trafford. United sacked Carrick just 10 games into the Premier League season with the club in the relegation zone and having won just once in this domestic campaign. The club’s hierarchy met minority owner Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco on Wednesday to discuss Carrick’s future and a statement on Thursday said that it had “come to the extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve our ambitions”. Former Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino , who currently manages the US men’s national team, is in line to replace him. The club statement paid tribute to former midfielder Carrick as a “Manchester United legend” and the MUST statement concurred, saying “his standing among supporters remains undiminished”, but criticised the ownership for the spiral the club has found itself in. It said: “Michael Carrick’s departure marks another depressing moment for Manchester United. We thank him for his service and for restoring hope during the second half of last season. His standing among supporters remains undiminished. “The reason Manchester United fans have continued to support Michael Carrick in recent weeks is that they know that responsibility for United’s problems do not primarily rest with him or indeed his predecessors as manager. They lie with the ownership. Manchester United fans protested against the current owners before their most recent match, a 4-4 draw with Aston Villa (PA) “The Glazers’ debt-funded takeover continues to burden the club. When Ineos came in they promised sporting excellence, but yet with repeated changes in football leadership we have seen anything but. “It is time for the owners to explain themselves and show some accountability.” MUST continued to criticise “aggressive ticketing policies” which “have further damaged relations with supporters”, arguing “supporters are being asked to pay the price for the owners’ mismanagement as well as their stadium ambitions through higher charges and diminished rights”. Manchester United fans with a banner in protest against owners Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family (Reuters) It continued: “The unprecedented scale of the booing at Old Trafford , alongside public criticism from senior players in recent weeks, now points to a deeper deterioration. These are signs of a club becoming more divided, with the bond between supporters, players and those running Manchester United under increasing strain.” Defender Lisandro Martinez criticised the club’s hierarchy for not doing more to support Carrick in the transfer market following the 2-1 Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid last month, while dire on-pitch performances have resulted in protests against the ownership and loud booing of the players, although there were public displays of support for Carrick by fans at Old Trafford. MUST concluded: “The owners must allow senior club management to change direction: show accountability, rebuild trust, listen to supporters and recognise that their loyalty is fundamental to football success. “Another change of head coach cannot repair what the ownership continues to undermine.”