- Patrice Evra criticised Manchester United’s managerial inconsistency
- Frenchman was in ‘shock’ over Amorim sacking
- Appeared on ‘Rio Ferdinand Presents’ alongside former teammates at United
Since 2013, twelve managers have took over at Manchester United since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement across eleven tenures.
Three have managed United this season alone. Ruben Amorim, Darren Fletcher (caretaker) and Michael Carrick have all taken over the hot seat. It has capped off yet another transitional season for the Old Trafford side.
‘Transition’ has been an overused word since the legendary Scot’s retirement. For players who played under Ferguson, the dawn of change happening so frequently is a bewildering thought, even years later.
Evra: This is not United
Three former teammates of Carrick’s were in the house for ‘Rio Ferdinand Presents‘ on the 41-year-old’s YouTube channel.
Ryan Giggs and Patrice Evra joined Ferdinand in a recent episode. The trio played with Carrick between 2005/06 and 2014, where they all departed the club together. Evra and Ferdinand left the club, whilst the Welshman announced his retirement.
Speaking on the managerial change, Evra said: “We will have to start from zero again. I feel like we’ve become like Chelsea, every year, and this is not United, normally we need consistency. We try with Amorim, and to be honest I was in shock.”
Chelsea are notorious in their cyclical run of hiring and firing managers, both under the previous and current regimes. The Blues have sacked over seventeen permanent and interim managers since 2000. Manager Liam Rosenior joined them this season on a six and a half year deal. However, the 2-1 defeat to United has already put a spotlight on his future as their prospects of Champions League qualification look slim.
The former left-back continued: “I was thinking they will give him [Amorim] more time but they bring Carrick in and he’s doing miracles.”
The interim boss has only lost two games in his latest spell, averaging an impressive 2.17 points per game (PPG) in the Premier League. The Reds’ destiny is in their own hands. They are on track to qualify for the Champions League next season if they can secure six points from the last five games. That threshold could be lowered if Chelsea drops further points in the coming weeks.
Support for Next Manager Needs to Sustain
The temptation to keep rotating the revolving door is there for any club these days. Manchester United are no longer the exception. Therefore, the club have to break the cycle and show genuine faith in their next appointment.
The Ruben Amorim era ended prematurely as a result of his press conference rant in January. Before that, INEOS believed in his ‘project’ and was prepared to back him for the long-term. This commitment was evident in their willingness to support his tactical overhaul in a 3-4-2-1 system that was against the traditional ‘United Way’. Moreover, his controversial stance on Kobbie Mainoo was backed. The club was willing to let go of their best academy graduate since Paul Pogba.
Whether the board sticks with Carrick or pursues Julian Nagelsmann, United cannot afford to mirror Chelsea’s chaotic managerial churn. Consistency, as Evra points out, should actually form part of that ‘United Way’ that fans deserve.
