Sport with John Duggan: Michael Carrick officially out of Man United

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

The Hard Shoulder, with Ciara Kelly and Shane Colman. On Newstalk, with Ciara.

SPEAKER_2 (0:08)

John Duggan, it's finally happened.

Michael Carrick has been sacked by Manchester United. Mauricio Pochettino set to replace him. It's been appallingly handled by Man United.

John Duggan (0:20)

Well, I didn't see you now. They did pay, I suppose, their respects to Michael Carrick's tenure in their statement, saying that it was extremely difficult. Clusion has been made to make a change in order to achieve their ambitions. And they described him as a Manchester United legend, conducting himself with the highest standards of dedication, professionalism throughout his time back with the club and his leadership and achievements last season will always be fondly remembered. But even in the tweet, like the tweet was a one-liner about Michael Carrick leaving Manchester United.

SPEAKER_2 (0:50)

Yeah, and they left him hanging for what, three days?

John Duggan (0:53)

Well, it's also three games. I mean, you think the Bournemouth, saying goodbyes after the Bournemouth game and that it gave him almost three games, the stay of footballing and execution where he went to Chelsea. And then you have the game against Roma, where's the comeback? And then you have last week where it was four-all draw with Aston Villa.

Doesn't seem to be any clarity in terms of what they were doing.

SPEAKER_4 (1:12)

Why do you think it played out that way? Were they trying to find, waiting to get Pochettino? Were they trying to get a new person in place before they announced it?

SPEAKER_2 (1:20)

I think there was a meeting with the minority owner in Monaco. And we knew the two executives were going to travel to us, but there was a two-day wait before they were going to do it. So everything had to be put on hold. So there was a stay of execution. But it was really unfair on Michael Carrick.

John Duggan (1:35)

Should have just let him go after the Bournemouth game, put an interim manager in charge for a few games until they sorted themselves out. They've got no clue what they're doing. They are headless chickens in terms of the leadership of Manchester United. I was looking back, they've won 20 titles, as many as Liverpool, but only three managers have won them. Matt Busby.

SPEAKER_2 (1:51)

Matt Busby, Ferguson and...

John Duggan (1:53)

This is the trivia question for all you tablecloth sharks out there.

SPEAKER_2 (1:56)

You're going way, way back.

John Duggan (1:57)

We're going back to the early 1900s. Ernest Magnell is the only other manager to manage Manchester United.

SPEAKER_4 (2:03)

Ernest Magnell! I was just about to say that, guys.

John Duggan (2:06)

Yeah, tip of the tongue.

SPEAKER_2 (2:10)

I think they've had 11 managers since Ferguson, if you include, you know, the stand-ins, Van Nistelrooy and people like that.

John Duggan (2:16)

I don't know if Ralph Rangnick, he was there for a while, but did he classify as a...

SPEAKER_2 (2:20)

Darren Fletcher as well.

John Duggan (2:22)

Like you got Moyes, Van Hal, Josie Mourinho, Oleg Anasolshar, Rangnick, Erickton Haag, Ruben Amorim and Michael Carrick. But the dressing room as well, I mean, I think needs to look itself in the mirror, because you know European football last season, they were able to ride the high in the wave with the same, pretty much the same players to get third in the Premier League, Champions League qualification. They're now 18, they're in the drop zone. They, if you took the name Manchester United off the board, you go, well, this club is just a mess and...

SPEAKER_4 (2:51)

You go, this is Bournemouth or something.

SPEAKER_5 (2:52)

Yeah, exactly. No disrespect to Bournemouth.

SPEAKER_2 (2:54)

Bournemouth is a model of being well-run in comparison.

SPEAKER_4 (2:57)

Well, and I don't actually mean to throw shade at Bournemouth, but you would think it was some second-rate club, wouldn't you?

John Duggan (3:01)

So the ecosystem around the club as well, like it's an industry that all the former players and there's a constant, I don't know if that's helpful, but Mauricio Tapagetino, if he manages to wade his way through the river of, looks like the Shawshank Redemption, the river of dung or whatever it is, at Manchester United, is a fantastic football manager.

I know this as being a Spurs fan, apart from winning a trophy, he did every single thing at Spurs. He brought them to a Champions League final, punched them over their weight massively. They were second in the league. He did win a league with PSG. He's been managing the United States.

SPEAKER_2 (3:33)

I'd win a league with PSG now, in fairness.

John Duggan (3:35)

But I love the way he plays football.