Gary Neville has questioned Manchester United’s handling of Michael Carrick’s future.
Gary Neville questions United’s decision to retain Michael Carrick after eight winless games and renews his call for the Glazers to sell.
Gary Neville says the Manchester United crisis raises questions about the club’s decision to retain manager Michael Carrick. The former United captain believes dismissing a struggling manager can sometimes help the coach himself.
United have gone eight matches without victory. Sunday’s 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth also left them just one point above the Premier League relegation zone.
Carrick remains in charge, however, with a trip to Chelsea scheduled for Saturday. He is expected to hold a pre-match press conference on Thursday.
Neville questions response to Manchester United crisis
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Neville suggested United’s leadership had struggled to decide Carrick’s future. However, he stressed that he had no direct knowledge of their discussions.
He argued that retaining Carrick reflected poor planning, limited alternatives and uncertainty over potential replacements. Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann have emerged as possible candidates for the Old Trafford job.
Neville also drew on his own difficult spell managing Valencia. He recalled feeling relieved when the club dismissed him, arguing that removing a manager can sometimes spare further distress.
United have won only two of their 12 matches across all competitions this season. Meanwhile, their seven points from eight league games mark their worst league start in 40 years.
Despite those results, supporters warmly applauded Carrick as he entered the tunnel after the Bournemouth defeat. They then booed the players as they left the pitch.
Glazers face renewed call to sell
Carrick signed a two-year contract in May after overseeing a revival following United’s struggles under Ruben Amorim. That turnaround brought a third-place Premier League finish and a return to the Champions League.
This season’s decline, however, has renewed scrutiny of the club’s leadership. United last won the league title 13 years ago under Alex Ferguson.
Neville placed the underlying responsibility on majority owners the Glazer family and again urged them to sell. He argued that years of footballing failure showed they had not taken responsibility for the club’s problems.
The Glazers took control in 2005 through a controversial takeover. They later sold a minority stake to British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe in 2024, but retained majority ownership.
Neville also pointed to the club’s debt as a constraint. He criticised the decision to hand football responsibilities to Ratcliffe and said supporters had lost patience with the ownership.
