The Manchester United Supporters Trust have released an official statement reacting to the sacking of Michael Carrick.
After weeks of turmoil and a dismal start to the 2026/27 season, Manchester United confirmed in a club statement that head coach Carrick had been sacked on Thursday morning.
The decision comes as United sit 18th in the Premier League after 10 matches, with genuine concerns of a potential relegation steadily rising.
In general, fans are relatively apathetic towards the decision, recognising that it likely had to happen while still maintaining a love for Carrick for all he has done for the club.
But the official United supporters trust – the largest supporters' trust in the UK with 200,000 members – is anything but apathetic in its response, calling for the club's ownership to finally step up and take some responsibility.
Although Carrick's position as head coach was clearly untenable given the club's position in the Premier League and Champions League, the majority of fans blame the club's ownership, not Carrick himself.
Ahead of recent home games, fans in the club's famous Stretford end have staged protests against club owners Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family.
And in its official statement, the Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) labelled Carrick's departure as 'depressing' while calling on the Glazers to finally take responsibility for their 'debt-funded' takeover.
The statement read:"Michael Carrick’s departure marks another depressing moment for Manchester United. We thank him for his service and for restoring hope during the second half of last season. His standing among supporters remains undiminished.
"The reason Manchester United fans have continued to support Michael Carrick in recent weeks is that they know that responsibility for United’s problems do not primarily rest with him or indeed his predecessors as manager.
"They lie with the ownership.
"The Glazers’ debt-funded takeover continues to burden the club. When INEOS came in they promised sporting excellence, but yet with repeated changes in football leadership we have seen anything but.
"It is time for the owners to explain themselves and show some accountability.
"But the discontent at United is not just about matters on the pitch. Far from it.
"Aggressive ticketing policies have further damaged relations with supporters. Treating loyal fans principally as a source of revenue undermines their identity and the bond with the team that sustains support through difficult times.
"Supporters are being asked to pay the price for the owners’ mismanagement as well as their stadium ambitions through higher charges and diminished rights.
"The earlier Stretford End banner declaring 'The way you treat us is a disgrace' was a warning.
"The unprecedented scale of the booing at Old Trafford, alongside public criticism from senior players in recent weeks, now points to a deeper deterioration.
"These are signs of a club becoming more divided, with the bond between supporters, players and those running Manchester United under increasing strain.
"MUST warned publicly in January 2025 that alienating supporters risked a downward spiral of worsening atmosphere, performances and financial outcomes.
"Our subsequent Telegraph article urged Sir Jim Ratcliffe to break that 'doom loop' by bringing supporters with him. Those warnings remain painfully relevant.
The owners must allow senior club management to change direction: show accountability, rebuild trust, listen to supporters and recognise that their loyalty is fundamental to football success.
"Another change of head coach cannot repair what the ownership continues to undermine."
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