Former Manchester United captain Peter Schmeichel has criticised the club’s handling of Michael Carrick’s uncertain future, describing the situation as “very disrespectful” to the manager.
Carrick is expected to lose his position following a meeting involving senior Manchester United officials and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco. However, while discussions about his departure have attracted widespread attention, he has continued to oversee training sessions at the club’s Carrington base.
Speaking on The Overlap Daily, Schmeichel said he did not believe Carrick was solely responsible for the team’s poor performances and questioned why the club had allowed uncertainty over his position to continue.
“I think the way this is playing out is very disrespectful to him,” Schmeichel said. “If I’m honest, I don’t think he’s doing anything wrong.”
Former Goalkeeper Blames Long-Standing Problems at Old Trafford
Schmeichel argued that Manchester United’s difficulties extended beyond the current manager, pointing to problems within the club’s leadership and recruitment structures since the departures of former manager Sir Alex Ferguson and chief executive David Gill.
He said the club had repeatedly failed to appoint the right people to key positions, allowing its problems to worsen over time.
United are currently in the relegation zone during the international break and have not won a Premier League match since late August. Late comebacks against Roma in the Champions League and Aston Villa in domestic competition had offered some encouragement, but the team’s overall league position remained a concern.
Transfer Recruitment Also Comes Under Fire
Schmeichel said Manchester United’s recruitment decisions had left the squad short of defenders, despite the club having opportunities to address the problem during the transfer window.
He questioned why the club had completed the window without signing a defender while bringing in three midfielders.
The former goalkeeper cited the team’s defensive record, arguing that conceding 30 goals in 10 matches demonstrated the need for reinforcements.
He also questioned how much influence Carrick had over recruitment, noting that the club took a considerable amount of time to appoint him permanently. Schmeichel suspected that Carrick had not been involved in discussions about potential signings before receiving the job.
Schmeichel urged United to retain the manager until January, allowing him to identify the players he needed and giving the team an opportunity to improve its position in the table.
Schmeichel Calls for Carrick to Be Treated With Respect
Schmeichel’s main criticism focused on the way United appeared to be managing Carrick’s departure while he remained in charge of first-team training.
He argued that if the club had already decided to appoint another manager, Carrick should have been informed and relieved of his duties rather than being left to work amid public speculation about his future.
“If they’re looking for somebody else, then relieve the man of his duties,” he said. “Don’t let him come into training yesterday. He took training yesterday. How disrespectful is that?”
He added that Carrick deserved a direct explanation and a respectful departure rather than having the process prolonged.
Schmeichel also questioned whether the club’s current decision-makers understood what it meant to represent Manchester United, saying he was angry about the treatment of one of the club’s former players.
Tim Sherwood Disagrees With Schmeichel’s Sympathy
Schmeichel’s fellow pundit Tim Sherwood took a different position, saying he did not feel sorry for Carrick because the manager would have understood the difficult circumstances he was entering when he accepted the job.
Carrick had initially taken charge on an interim basis during the second half of the previous season after Ruben Amorim was dismissed. He was subsequently appointed permanently over the summer.
Despite acknowledging that Premier League managers often face short periods in charge, Schmeichel maintained that his concern was the manner in which United were handling the potential change.
Pochettino Emerges as United’s Preferred Replacement
Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox travelled to Monaco to meet Ratcliffe and discuss the decision to part ways with Carrick.
Mauricio Pochettino, currently head coach of the United States national team, is the club’s preferred candidate to replace him.
Discussions with Pochettino were planned for Wednesday night, while United’s hierarchy was reportedly preparing to inform Carrick of his dismissal in person on Thursday.
Pochettino is based at the US Soccer training facility outside Atlanta as the national team prepares for a CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final double-header against Haiti. He is scheduled to speak to the media on Friday, although it remains uncertain whether he will oversee the upcoming matches.
One possibility is that he could remain in charge for the first leg in Kingston, Jamaica, before travelling to Manchester. The return fixture is scheduled for Cincinnati in the early hours of Thursday.
Manchester United are due to face Liverpool at Anfield 48 hours later, making the timing of any managerial transition a significant consideration. The US Soccer Federation is understood to have prepared a succession plan should Pochettino leave.
Pochettino’s Release Could Cost United More Than £10 Million
Pochettino would need to pay approximately £7 million to terminate his contract with the US Soccer Federation, with Manchester United prepared to cover the amount.
Bringing his backroom staff to Old Trafford, including trusted assistants Jesus Perez and Miguel D’Agostino, is expected to push the overall cost beyond £10 million.
Carrick Continues Training as United Consider Dismissal
While discussions over his future continued, Carrick took charge of Manchester United’s training session for a second consecutive day on Wednesday.
He arrived at Carrington at approximately 7.45am and left shortly after 1.30pm.
Carrick has overseen what has been described as the club’s worst start to a season in 40 years. However, he remained firm when asked whether he intended to resign following the team’s draw against Aston Villa.
Speaking to Sky Sports reporter Patrick Davison, Carrick acknowledged that United had not won enough matches but said he expected the team to build on its recent performance.
“You know the situation, we haven’t won enough games,” he said. “But I expect to move forward with things we’ve been working on, showing a lot of the good from today, tighten up a few mistakes and win some football matches.”
