Fernandes shared a photograph of himself and Carrick on the pitch to his Instagram Stories on Thursday evening, after United confirmed the sacking earlier in the day with the club 18th in the Premier League.
Harry Maguire added his own tribute, “Will always be a legend. Respect. Thank you.”, and midfielder Kobbie Mainoo was among the squad members to follow suit, according to SPORTbible.
Carrick’s permanent spell lasted less than six months. He had signed a two-year deal in May after guiding United to a third-place finish and Champions League qualification as interim head coach. The sacking came after one win in ten Premier League matches, the club’s worst start to a Premier League season.
“A change is necessary”
Manchester United’s statement called Carrick “a Manchester United legend” and said the club had reached “the extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve our ambitions”, according to a full-text summary published by Yahoo Sports.
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Mauricio Pochettino is in place to replace him, Sky Sports reports, with United expected to trigger an exit clause in the Argentine’s US men’s national team contract said to be worth around £7m. Pochettino’s first match in charge is set to be the trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday, 22 November, after the international break.
Captain in limbo
The tribute lands with Fernandes publicly at odds with United’s boardroom. He has turned down a second contract offer, The Athletic reported on Thursday, with negotiations stuck on both salary and length.
His current deal runs to June 2027, and United hold a 12-month extension option. Without a new agreement, Fernandes will be free from January to open pre-contract talks with clubs outside England.
Fernandes had also spoken out in Carrick’s final weeks, criticising the team’s tactics after a 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como.
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