Manchester United players ‘baffled’ by Michael Carrick sacking

Manchester United players were left confused by the club’s decision to dismiss manager Michael Carrick, with one source claiming “not one word was said” when the news became known.

United announced on Thursday that Carrick had left his position after a disappointing start to the current season, which had left the club in the relegation places. The club said it intended to appoint a permanent replacement as soon as possible, with reports indicating an agreement was being reached with Mauricio Pochettino.

In an official statement, Manchester United said it had made the difficult decision to change its leadership because the team’s results were not matching the club’s ambitions.

According to The Sun, the players were surprised by the club’s handling of Carrick’s position. One source told the newspaper: “Not one word was said.”

Carrick had taken training as usual on Wednesday alongside his coaching staff, despite reports that Pochettino was expected to replace him.

The session took place with a reduced squad because several players were away on international duty, but those who remained continued to train normally.

“There are a lot of players missing, but those who were there carried on as usual,” the source said. “It is strange – not one word was said, despite all the noise and speculation.”

The source added: “The players are as confused as anyone else about what is happening. It sums up the state of Manchester United at the moment and how the club is being run.”

Carrick was formally relieved of his duties on Thursday after owner Avram Glazer approved the decision and gave the go-ahead for Manchester United to make an official offer to Pochettino, who is the United States manager.

Carrick was seen arriving at United’s training ground in Carrington shortly before 08:00, but left only two hours later after a face-to-face meeting with club officials.

That brought an end to a prolonged period in which Carrick continued to oversee training sessions despite the situation appearing increasingly clear.

Pochettino, the former Tottenham and Chelsea manager, signed a four-year contract with the United States in the summer. His agreement includes a £7.4m compensation clause.

Costly managerial changes

Manchester United’s compensation bill for appointing and dismissing managers and sporting directors since Sir Alex Ferguson retired has surpassed £100m if Pochettino replaces Carrick.

The Telegraph reported that the appointment of Pochettino and Carrick’s dismissal would take the club’s total compensation payments during the 13 years since Ferguson’s departure to just over £108m.

The figure is significant for a club that has made 322 employees redundant during the past two years as part of cost-cutting measures. Manchester United have also recorded losses of £444m across the past seven seasons.