Bruce Owen

🚨 Sir Alex Ferguson on Manchester United sacking Michael Carrick: “Carrick is my boy. I know how much this club means to him. He has Manchester United in his heart, and I’ve always seen his commitment, passion and desire to take this club forward. But I honestly feel he was badly let down. He was let down by the board and, most importantly, by players who should have stood behind him when things became difficult. You cannot expect a manager to deliver miracles without giving him the tools, players and support he needs. Carrick was expected to compete at the highest level, but was he given the squad and backing to do that? I don’t think so. Look at what he achieved last season. You could see the potential, structure and direction he wanted to bring to this club. He had something special in him, but when consistency became necessary, everything started falling apart around him. Don’t tell me the pressure was too much for him. It wasn’t about him being too small for Manchester United. He was fighting a battle without enough weapons. A manager can only do so much when his players aren’t giving everything. When another manager comes in, watch how some of these players suddenly start running, fighting and giving everything on that pitch. That will tell you a lot about what happened under Carrick. People compare Carrick to me, but they forget that I had the support of the board. I could go out and sign players who fitted my system and understood what I wanted to build. I also had players who understood my demands, believed in my philosophy and were ready to fight for one another. I didn’t build my success with just any collection of players. And let me make one thing clear: you cannot fix a broken car by charging the driver. If the entire machine is damaged, blaming the person behind the steering wheel won’t solve the problem. Manchester United must look beyond the manager. Carrick deserved more patience, more backing and players willing to fight for him. Unfortunately, I don’t believe he got that opportunity. I wish Michael Carrick nothing but the very best in his future. He will always be one of my boys.”