Why Manchester United cannot afford to let another manager become the scapegoat

Manchester United fans are sick and tired of the rinse-and-repeat strategy that has been evident at the club since Sir Alex Ferguson retired as manager in 2013. Nine games into the new season, Michael Carrick is already under immense pressure.

It has been disappointing watching Manchester United play this season. The form guide shows two wins from nine matches, including a shocking 3-2 defeat to Brighton in the Carabao Cup third round.

Matters worsened on Tuesday night in the Champions League. United suffered a 2-0 defeat at the Metropolitano, but the performance was far from terrible, and Leny Yoro’s harsh red card knocked the stuffing out of the Reds with approximately 20 minutes left to play. United also conceded the opening goal after 50 minutes.

United’s latest defeat hasn’t only put Michael Carrick under more pressure; it has led to Lisandro Martinez opening a can of worms by launching a verbal attack on the club’s hierarchy, including director of football Jason Wilcox. He echoed a lot of the feelings shared by United fans in recent months. It suggests there is a strong reluctance to paint the head coach as the scapegoat for poor results.

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We’ve run a poll via TalkingPoints asking United fans about changes Ineos should make following Martinez’s explosive interview. Over 60% voted to sack Wilcox as football director. Another fair share of the vote saw United fans suggest that Carrick and Wilcox should be sacked, while a small percentage believe the head coach is solely to blame for the shortcomings on the pitch.

This suggests the majority want to see Wilcox held accountable for his decision-making at United. It may not be seen as a big ask, but Ineos are likely to back their man in any war of words with Martinez, who is likely to leave Old Trafford next summer.

Around 10% of the vote opted for United to sack nobody and stay on course, which doesn’t bode well for the future. The team is currently sitting in the bottom half of the Premier League table and eliminated from the Carabao Cup.

There is no getting away from the fact that Wilcox had a modest budget to work with in the summer transfer window. That, obviously, isn’t his fault, and it stems from the many years of gross mismanagement by the Glazers – long before Sir Jim Ratcliffe became co-owner.

One United fan stressed that sacking Wilcox wouldn’t be enough to fix the problems at Old Trafford, referencing Louis van Gaal’s verdict on those who ran the club during his time as manager. His anger is directed at the Glazers as well as Ineos.

There was also anger aimed at the idea of a new stadium. How can a club that couldn’t sign a new left-back in the summer justify spending £2bn on moving away from Old Trafford? It’s a valid point.

This is all further proof that the majority of United fans agree with the frustrations shared publicly by Martinez. They may not all agree with how it was done or the timing, but it echoes a lot of what they’ve been saying since the summer about Ineos and Wilcox.

United cannot fall into the same trap of sacking and firing managers every year or two. It makes it harder to form any stability in the team, which is required for long-term success. Carrick deserved to be backed in the summer, and Ineos have left him short.