Manchester United manager Michael Carrick is facing increasing pressure after overseeing a fifth consecutive game without a victory in all competitions, with another high-profile coach now reportedly interested in taking charge at Old Trafford.
Martinez meltdown stokes fires at Old Trafford
United’s miserable start to the season continued with a 2-0 Champions League defeat away to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday evening, with the result prompting further questions about the club’s direction. The fallout has only heightened the noise around the club, with Lisandro Martinez publicly questioning United’s hierarchy and suggesting that Carrick should not shoulder all the blame for their struggles.
“He does his best,” Martinez said of Carrick. “But every season is different. You can’t stay with what you did last season.
“The teams know how you play, they know every detail. If you don’t change, next season is a big problem.
“You start changing, changing, changing managers. But what about [moves his eyes upwards] other areas?”
The defender then shrugged and said “I can’t say more”, before adding: “Because also tonight it is easy to say the coach, it is easy to say the players, but also we have to see other areas.”
Carrick subsequently played down the controversy, suggesting Martinez’s comments may have been influenced by the emotions of another disappointing defeat.
“I haven’t seen the interview,” he said. “I’ve half heard about it. It’s a bit about the emotions of the game. “Straight after the game is not the time to talk about that interview and I can’t really comment on that. It’s important for us to move forward quickly.”
Asked whether he would speak to Martinez about the remarks, Carrick added: “I need to find out a bit more about it before I can say if and what is going to be done.”
According to The Guardian, Martinez’s frustration with director of football Jason Wilcox and United’s recruitment strategy is shared by several other members of the dressing room.
However, while the players may believe the problems extend beyond Carrick, the manager remains under considerable scrutiny and could ultimately pay the price if results do not improve.
Conte wants Manchester United job amid Carrick pressure
According to Italian journalist Daniele Longo, former Chelsea and Tottenham manager Antonio Conte is interested in becoming Manchester United’s next boss. Longo revealed on social media that the 57-year-old wants the Old Trafford job and believes he is ready for another challenge in the Premier League.
Conte has been out of management since leaving Napoli earlier this year, having guided the Italian club to the Serie A title during his first season in charge.
The experienced coach also enjoyed considerable success during his previous spell in English football, winning the Premier League with Chelsea in 2016/17 before lifting the FA Cup the following campaign.
Conte hailed as “spectacular” by former players
Conte has developed a reputation as an exceptionally demanding manager, but his intensity has also earned considerable admiration from players who have worked under him. Former Chelsea striker Diego Costa once described the Italian as “spectacular”, although he admitted that his relentless demands could be difficult to handle.
“As a coach, spectacular… As a coach, he’s very good, he wins everywhere he goes. But he pushes too much. Too much.”
Meanwhile, legendary midfielder Andrea Pirlo offered an insight into Conte’s remarkable motivational abilities in his autobiography, explaining how quickly the manager won over the Juventus dressing room.
“One little speech, a few simple words, was all it took for him to win me over. Me and the whole of Juventus. When Conte speaks, his words assault you. They crash through the doors of your mind, often quite violently and settle deep within you.”
Such accounts underline Conte’s ability to inspire extraordinary commitment from his players, something United could desperately benefit from after Gary Neville criticised the players’ work rate in recent matches against Tottenham and Fulham.
For now, however, Carrick remains in charge and faces another difficult assignment when United travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United in their next Premier League fixture.
With five matches having passed without a victory and questions mounting over the club’s direction, the former midfielder desperately needs a positive result to ease the pressure surrounding his future.
