Neville’s verdict, delivered on Sky Sports’ co-commentary and in the studio on Sunday evening at Old Trafford, was aimed above the manager rather than at him.
“The owners are gonna get a whack as well because they’ve been pathetic for the football club,” the former United captain said, as reported by TeamTalk, accusing the club’s sporting department of a series of “shocking decisions”.
Watching Diogo Dalot stranded on his own at left wing-back, Neville told TeamTalk the game reminded him of Ruben Amorim’s final weeks in the job, with the same structural problems he had seen before the previous sacking.
16th and a point above relegation
Manchester United have won once in eight Premier League games and are 16th in the table, a point above the relegation zone. Bruno Fernandes was dropped from the starting XI after criticising Carrick’s tactics in midweek, and sections of the Old Trafford crowd booed the players off while singing about Jason Wilcox and INEOS.
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Jamie Carragher, alongside Neville in the Sky Sports studio, called for the head coach to go that night.
“Michael Carrick needs to be relieved of his duties tonight. It has become untenable,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.
Carrick inherited the job from Amorim
Carrick took the role in January 2026 after Amorim was sacked following a 1-1 draw with Leeds, ending a 14-month reign that the club had defended through most of the previous season. Director of football Wilcox said at the time that Carrick knew what it took to win at the club and would lead the squad for the remainder of the season, in a statement reported by Flashscore.
On a podcast earlier in the week Neville had already told listeners that a Carrick exit was “probably necessary” with the club in an “absolute mess”, and he returned to the sporting department on Sunday night to argue the problem does not stop at the dugout.
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Nagelsmann and Howe named as the frontrunners
If United move again, Sky Sports reports that Julian Nagelsmann and Eddie Howe are the expected frontrunners. Nagelsmann is available immediately and is known to United’s head of recruitment Christopher Vivell from their time together at RB Leipzig. Howe resigned from Newcastle in July and is understood to be willing to listen if a vacancy opens. Unai Emery and Antonio Conte have been considered without, as yet, becoming favourites.
Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada are expected to decide on Carrick’s position within hours. United’s next Premier League fixture is away at Chelsea on 31 October.
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