Neville says managers need sacking ‘for own good’ as Man Utd retain Carrick

What the report says

Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville used a podcast appearance to argue that managers can sometimes need to be dismissed for their own benefit, as the club kept Michael Carrick in charge despite mounting pressure. Al Jazeera reported on 29 October 2026 that Carrick’s position became uncertain after United lost 3-0 at home to Bournemouth, extending a winless run to eight matches and leaving the club just one point above the Premier League relegation zone.

Carrick, 45, was due to speak to the media before United’s league match away to Chelsea on Saturday. According to the report, the club won only two of 12 games in all competitions this season, and their seven points from eight league matches marked their worst start to a league campaign in four decades. Neville said the hierarchy had likely debated the issue before deciding to keep Carrick, and suggested the delay reflected weak planning and decision-making.

Neville also pointed to ownership as the deeper problem, blaming the Glazer family and urging them to sell the club. He said United’s debt and years of poor football leadership had left the team constrained. For context, the Glazers took control in 2005 and later sold a minority stake to British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe in 2024. The situation matters because it highlights continued instability at one of football’s most prominent clubs, with supporters increasingly frustrated by repeated managerial crises and on-field decline.