I have been keeping an eye on Michael Carrick and Manchester United, and I will not pretend it has been pleasant viewing. Points have been dropped that should never have been dropped, matches have been lost in the most lacklustre fashion, and players have spoken to the press about things that have no business being aired in public. The summer recruitment clearly failed, because there is a lack of quality in every line of the team.
I watched the defeat to Bournemouth and could not quite believe my eyes. For 45 minutes Harry Maguire was the best player on the pitch, because he seemed to forget his lack of confidence and his general limitations and tried to drive something positive, charging forward, moving the ball on to the attackers, even attempting a couple of almost successful dribbles. When Maguire is the bright spot, you know what kind of afternoon it has been. In my view he has never been at the level of most United centre-halves of the past 30 years, but then I look at Joshua Zirkzee, who should not be anywhere near the Manchester United dressing room, and suddenly Maguire looks a giant. It was a sorry spectacle.
What I am failing to make sense of two days later is everything around it. There is a great deal of noise about how unprofessional United are for not issuing a statement on Carrick’s future. Why should that be anyone’s concern but theirs? They lost a football match, and I would guess half the teams in the league did the same that weekend. The results have been underwhelming, yes, but this is not a club that has been found guilty of breaking the league’s rules for years on end. Some players have been out of order, and it is useful that they showed their true colours, but surely a manager who has worked with this squad for the last 11 months is better placed to sort them out than someone arriving with no clue.
This is where we are now, with under-performance in the business and over-performance by pundits, podcasters, influencers, self-appointed commentators and writers. Saying things is easier than doing them. I am certain that the people inside Manchester United, and Michael Carrick in particular, have done more about this than anyone talking about it from the outside.
#ManchesterUnited #MUFC #MichaelCarrick #PremierLeague #Football
