Michael Carrick appeared composed on Monday as Manchester United prepared to travel to Italy for their Europa League match against Como, amid growing unrest following a revealing interview by former manager Erik ten Hag. Ten Hag criticized both the club’s ownership group, Ineos, and the internal culture at Old Trafford, suggesting that key promises made to him remained unfulfilled and condemning what he described as a “toxic” dressing room environment.
In his interview, Ten Hag accused the club’s leadership of fostering a culture that empowers players in ways detrimental to team dynamics. He highlighted a lack of alignment, broken commitments regarding support and communication, and an absence of clear strategy. “They promised me loyalty, they promised me backing, they promised communication,” Ten Hag said, but added that these assurances were not upheld.
These comments echo recurrent criticisms from within Manchester United over recent years. Multiple players and staff have pointed to a persistent lack of clarity and structure in the club’s operations. Lisandro Martinez has voiced dissatisfaction with the ownership, while several former and current players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane, and Dean Henderson, have publicly expressed frustration with various aspects of the club’s management and culture.
Ronaldo, in a high-profile 2022 interview, said he felt “betrayed” by the club’s stagnant progress since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure. Varane noted the absence of a defined methodology for recruitment, play style, and communication, drawing contrasts with his experience at Real Madrid. Henderson openly criticized wasted time in his development and the lack of playing opportunities, which he attributed in part to poor planning at the club.
The revolving door of managers and inconsistent tactical approaches have compounded these issues. Since Ten Hag’s departure in October 2024, Carrick has taken over amid shiftings in playing style—from Ten Hag’s original vision of expansive, dominant football to Rúben Amorim’s press-intensive 3-4-2-1 system, and now a return to a possession-oriented approach under Carrick. This instability coincides with a troubling run of form for Manchester United, who have failed to win in their last six matches and secured only two victories in their opening ten games of the season.
Martinez emphasized that focusing blame solely on the manager or players overlooks deeper, systemic problems within the club. “You can’t keep changing, changing, changing the manager,” he said following a recent defeat to Atletico Madrid. “What about other areas?”
Ten Hag’s reflections underline the broader need for competent leadership, a clear identity, and robust structures within Manchester United’s hierarchy. Despite the time and resources afforded under Ineos, the club continues to struggle to break free from repeating patterns of underperformance and internal discord. As Carrick assumes responsibility for steering the team forward, the challenge remains to establish a coherent plan capable of restoring stability and success.