Манчестер Юнайтед дасгалжуулагчаа халж, удирдлагын бүтцээ өөрчлөхөд бэлэн боллоо

Rio Ferdinand is rarely the sensible voice in the room but his description of Manchester United as a “laughing stock” is spot on as the once-great Old Trafford club lurch from one crisis to the next.

If you needed any convincing that co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, CEO Omar Berrada and sporting director Jason Wilcox were not suitable to run an historic sporting institution then the events of the past fortnight provide ample evidence.

The fall guy is Michael Carrick, this morning sacked from his role as United head coach. Did Carrick deserve to stay on with the club in the Premier League relegation zone having won one of their opening 10 games – their worst start since 1986? No, probably not.

But what he definitely did not deserve was a shambolic departure that saw The Three Stooges (AKA Ratcliffe, Berrada and Wilcox) convene in Monaco to apparently discuss the way forward while the whole world knew what was coming next via leaks and media briefings.

It all meant this morning’s announcement was inevitable and came not long after Carrick was seen leaving the Carrington training ground after reporting for duty for the third morning on the trot while his future was being debated elsewhere.

The speed at which Mauricio Pochettino has been lined up as his successor also suggests Ratcliffe and Co had made their minds up long before they had the decency to inform the former United and England midfielder.

Speaking on YouTube, Ferdinand said: “It is tiring, imagine being a player at the club right now. There is just nothing positive to say about Manchester United.

“The spotlight is on them and they don’t want it to be. United have become a laughing stock.

“The way in which it has been done could have been better and the leaks that have been coming out are terrible and it adds to the disrespect for this situation on him [Carrick] and his family. Even his kids will be feeling this. The minimum he should be getting is respect.”

United great Schmeichel angry at Carrick treatment

Respect is a trait United used to be renown for but not any more. Not since Ratcliffe bought in alongside the Glazers, promising much and delivering mass redundancies, draconian ticket policies that have alienated long-standing supporters, and one of the worst teams in the top flight.

Another United great Peter Schmeichel was also disgusted with how the hierarchy have treated a man who won five Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League crown under Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Dane told Sky Vegas: “Do you think these people know [Carrick’s record]? Do you think they care? These people are not Manchester United people. They don’t understand what it’s like to be one of the Manchester United people. They don’t know that.

“This is obviously part of the broader issue here, part of the reason the club is where they are now. I’m not saying I feel sorry for Michael, but I’m a little bit angry at how this great football club is treating one of its greatest players. Simple as that.”

Pochettino will be installed prior to United’s next game, away at arch-rivals Liverpool a week on Sunday, and once the paperwork has been completed to extricate him from his contract with US Soccer. A trip to Anfield is hardly the quiet start he would have wanted as he attempts to succeed where the likes of David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim have failed.

The Argentine has spoken to United on numerous occasions previously about the role but has always been overlooked. Now 54 years of age, he seems on the way down, a bit of a journeyman, rather than the upstart who guided Tottenham to the 2019 Champions League final with a brilliant young team that played with verve and vigour.

United need an overhaul but, most of all, they need the Glazers to sell

Verve and vigour are certainly not characteristics he will find on his arrival at Carrington.

Instead, he will inherit a stodgy squad high on ponderous midfielders and low on quality defenders and strikers.

United need a huge overhaul in playing personnel. The problem is that will be overseen by Wilcox, whose previous hits include spending a combined £157million this summer on Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba. That meant the team went into the season with one specialist left-back in Luke Shaw – yes, the perennially injured Luke Shaw who has made just five appearances this season – and no back-up to striker Benjamin Sesko, whose body is also made of glass.

So, incompetent sporting director, out-of-his-depth CEO and a squad high on egos but low on ability. It’s not the most appealing of positions for Pochettino to take up, and we haven’t even addressed the biggest issue he will encounter.

The stench of the Glazer family has permeated every corner of Old Trafford since Malcolm Glazer bought his first share in 2003. Thanks to the row between John Magnier and Ferguson over the race horse Rock of Gibraltar, the door opened for Glazer to seize majority control in 2005.

Ferguson’s brilliance meant trophies kept on arriving but the nature of Glazer’s leveraged buyout meant it was inevitable that would eventually stop.

Fast forward to 2026 and there is a sense of futility to sacking Carrick and bringing in Pochettino. Like shuffling deckchairs on the Titanic.

The BBC carried out some Vox pops outside Old Trafford this morning to ask fans their feelings on Carrick’s departure.

Asked if would make any difference, one lady said: “No, not in my opinion.”

Another man added: “I don’t actually think that there is a single manager in world football that could take that football club from where they are now to a better position. Before the owners go, there’s no point in getting a new manager. You might as well just get the coach from the Under-21s and put him in the football club.”

Same circus, new ringmaster. Good luck Mauricio.