Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville has warned that the club will continue to struggle unless significant changes are made to its football structure, insisting that dismissing Michael Carrick alone will not resolve the problems that have plagued the Old Trafford side in recent years.
Neville’s comments came after Manchester United confirmed Carrick’s departure on Thursday, November 12, following a disappointing start to the Premier League campaign that has left the club in the relegation zone.
The former United defender believes the club’s recurring difficulties cannot simply be blamed on whoever occupies the managerial position. Instead, he has pointed towards deeper problems involving ownership, recruitment, leadership and the overall organisation of the football department.
Neville pointed to the succession of managers who have failed to establish lasting success at Old Trafford, including David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick, Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim.
According to the former England international, the repeated cycle of managerial appointments has demonstrated that United’s difficulties are not necessarily caused by the individuals in charge of the team.
He argued that although a new manager might initially improve performances and restore optimism among supporters, those improvements often disappear when the underlying problems remain unresolved.
Neville explained that Carrick had also experienced a similar situation, suggesting that the temporary improvement under a new manager could simply conceal deeper weaknesses within the organisation.
He said United would continue to struggle if their recruitment and performance departments failed to operate effectively or if there was no clear leadership across the club.
The former defender also questioned the experience of some senior figures occupying important positions, suggesting that certain individuals lacked the necessary background to manage responsibilities at such a major football institution.
His criticism places renewed attention on the club’s ownership and football leadership, particularly the influence of the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, whose INEOS group oversees football operations following its minority investment in Manchester United.
Carrick’s dismissal followed an alarming run of results that saw United collect just one victory from their opening 10 Premier League matches, leaving them in the relegation zone.
The former midfielder had signed a two-year contract less than six months before his departure, making the decision another significant managerial setback for a club that has struggled to maintain stability since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Despite the poor results, United’s 4-4 draw against Aston Villa in Carrick’s final match demonstrated some attacking resilience, although their defensive weaknesses remained a major concern.
United had also suffered disappointing defeats against Como, Bournemouth and Chelsea during their difficult run, further increasing pressure on the coaching staff.
Meanwhile, former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has been lined up as a potential replacement, with reports indicating that an agreement had been reached ahead of Carrick’s departure.
However, Neville’s assessment suggests that even the arrival of an experienced manager will not automatically restore United to their former position among England’s leading clubs.
The challenge facing the Old Trafford hierarchy is therefore much bigger than finding another coach. It involves establishing a clear football philosophy, improving recruitment decisions, strengthening the club’s leadership structure and ensuring that everyone involved works towards the same long-term objectives.
For a club that has spent more than a decade searching for consistency following Ferguson’s departure, Neville’s warning raises an important question: will Manchester United finally address the problems behind their repeated managerial failures, or will Carrick’s dismissal simply begin another cycle of rebuilding?
