Are Manchester United finished?

Karan Ahgun

— 4 min read
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Are Manchester United finished?

At least once a season, we say, "This is the worst it has been", when talking about Manchester United. The same goes for the club today. A 4-1 loss to Como and a 3-0 loss to Bournemouth have put the club into its latest doom spiral, and fan frustration has reached boiling point. Questions around the ownership, sports leadership, coach and players are flying around, and there is an air of resignation around the fanbase, with some harbouring fears of a relegation battle too.

At the Bournemouth game, it was quite clear to see where the fans attributed blame for this period of unrest. Chants against the Glazer, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Jason Wilcox were loud, and the players were booed unanimously after Michael Carrick had left the pitch. The ownership issue has been written about for 20 years, but with INEOS's investment a few years ago, there was cautious optimism that things could turn around. But the evidence has shown that the new establishment is just as bad as its predecessors. In each of the seasons they've been in charge since taking charge, they've made a managerial change, and it looks inevitable that they'll do the same at some point soon.

There was particularly strong frustration against Jason Wilcox last weekend. As the Director of Football, Wilcox has a massive say in all things recruitment, which includes managers and players. Everyone thought that Carrick would lose his job after Sunday, especially after the apparent lap of appreciation he did at Old Trafford, but Carrick has received a stay of execution and will take charge of the team against Chelsea. There were reports of indecision and a lack of funds which contributed to that decision which has shocked people in football and has ultimately prolonged the inevitable. The summer recruitment was also underwhelming and has already been proven to be a failure, as United are struggling at left-back and striker - two positions they just had to recruit in. Wilcox's postion should be under threat now and there is a really strong argument that he shouldn't be in a position to make the next big decision at Manchester United.

As for Michael Carrick, it does seem inevitable that he will be sacked at some point soon. As mentioned before, it was a real shock to see the news that he would be continuing in his role after Sunday's defeat, but with the context of the club's incompetence on a board level, maybe we shouldn't have been surprised. Even so, Carrick's team setup and preparation throughout the season has been below par and the stats show it. The team's running stats are amongst the lowest in the league and they've lost a lot of the physicality which helped them throughout last season. It also doesn't help when you still have to rely upon defenders who have shown they're not consistent over a number of seasons now, which links back to the poor recruitment over the summer. If/when Carrick gets sacked, fans want to see the best possible manager being hired, no matter the cost. The apparent favourite is Eddie Howe, which has not been welcome news for the fans. Julian Nagelsmann and Antonio Conte have also been strongly linked, whilst Unai Emery has been described as the "top target" by some reports. Whoever gets the role next has to be stronger in setting the standards which have been lost at United for such a long time now.

It seems pretty bleak for United right now, especially when you look at their upcoming fixtures. A difficult trip to Stamford Bridge, a must-win game against Roma at home and a tough test against Aston Villa before the international break. It's hard to see where the next win comes from, and their winless run could be extended to 11 games if they fail to win any of the next 3.

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