NOW Michael Carrick firmly has his feet under the table, we will soon see which Manchester United players he gives the boot.
Carrick, by his own admission, is a coy character and has played it safe in press conferences while he auditions for the top job on a permanent basis.
Michael Carrick has a big summer ahead of him as he decides which United players will leave Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
His approach will differ to predecessor Ruben Amorim, who insisted on a ‘bomb squad’ Credit: PA
He has declined to confirm that Jadon Sancho, who has made one substitute appearance for United since August 2023 and headed out on loan three times, will be released.
For a player whose only red card was a result of his accidentally kicking a ball away at San Siro, we should not expect Carrick to assume the personality of a braggart.
Sir Alex Ferguson said Carrick lacked the “bravado” of his peers, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard: “He was a shy boy who needed to be shaken at times.”
Carrick is more assertive as a coach and exudes a quiet confidence but he is still the polar opposite to Ruben Amorim.
Amorim insisted on a ‘bomb squad’ last summer, with the likes of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho forced to train away from the rest of the first-team.
Carrick was once ruthlessly bombed out of the United squad by Ferguson after a costly penalty miss at Turf Moor in 2009, but it is unlikely Carrick will settle on his own ‘bomb squad’ of wantaways.
It is not in Carrick’s nature to ostracise players with ‘for sale’ tags attached to them.
But United are still reaping the benefits of Amorim insisting on separate training times for Sancho, Rasford, Garnacho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia.
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Marcus Rashford is among the United stars who could leave this summer Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
Amorim prioritised squad harmony in pre-season and United’s tour of the United States was their most harmonious and serene in eight years.
Erik ten Hag had to contend with queries about an absent Cristiano Ronaldo on his first tour in 2022, the Mason Greenwood saga was bubbling under the surface on his second and there was an uneasiness about the third after Ineos lost their nerve to sack him.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was saddled with wantaways Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku in 2019 and Jose Mourinho did not get his way on a new centre-back in 2018 as Ed Woodward dodged him from Los Angeles to Miami.
Amorim laid down groundwork for Carrick to hit the ground running – Garnacho and Antony are gone and Sancho is going. Rashford is the elephant in the room.
Rashford does not have a squad number but does have two years left on his contract. The 28-year-old forward’s salary will also increase by 25 PER CENT when United are back in the Champions League.
It is in United’s interests that Rashford is selected in Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad so that he is kept as far away as possible from Carrington, unless Barcelona have coughed up €30million (£26m) by then.
If Rashford is still marooned at United in late July or early August, there is no sense in reintegrating him into a squad that he does not want to be a part of.
The World Cup means Carrick, or whoever occupies the manager’s office at Carrington in July, will have a depleted squad to work with for most of pre-season.
Jadon Sancho’s future at Old Trafford looks uncertain following a season on loan at Aston Villa Credit: Alamy
But there are other sellable assets to dispose of. Cameroon are not at the World Cup, so there is every chance Andre Onana will drive through the security barriers at United’s training complex in early July.
Senne Lammens and Altay Bayindir are bound to be selected by their nations while Tom Heaton is out of contract in two months. Onana may be required in the absence of any other senior keepers.
Onana is a warm presence and there was regret among United staff from the boardroom to the dugout that it did not work out for him. Exiling him would be ill-advised if he returns to the building.
Joshua Zirkzee was reduced to the role of ball-boy as United attempted to salvage something from their 2-1 defeat to Leeds last month and the club want to cut their losses on a forward who has not cut it.
Yet Zirkzee is popular with team-mates and is a borderline cult figure with matchgoers.
They have gone overboard with their reverence after he was heckled and booed off against Newcastle at Old Trafford last season, as if to airbrush that from memory.
Zirkzee and Mason Mount won’t be at the World Cup and it would be charitable of United to accommodate both of them next season.
Mount is pleasant to deal with, committed and has a good rapport with United’s academy lads hoping to make the step up.
Joshua Zirkzee will also be linked with an exit from United after falling out of favour Credit: AFP
Andre Onana is unlikely to play for United again after his season-long loan at Trabzonspor Credit: Getty
There are not going to be many – if any – takers for an injury-prone playmaker on £250,000 a week. United need a bigger squad next season and squad member would have to be Mount’s role.
Manuel Ugarte has hardly endeared himself to United, who have a shortage of midfielders.
By the time Uruguay’s World Cup campaign has ended and Ugarte has had his three-week holiday, Carrick should have some new midfielders to work with.
Onana, Heaton and the returning Radek Vitek, who has been good on loan at Bristol City, are better goalies than Bayindir – who could go between the sticks for Rashford’s and Ugarte’s shooting practice if his mooted move to Besiktas has still not gone through.
Napoli are obliged to buy Rasmus Hojlund for £38m if, or when, they qualify for the Champions League. It looks a formality.
Should Napoli suddenly pull a Chelsea and pay a penalty fee NOT to make a United dud’s deal permanent then Hojlund – who has 14 goals in 40 matches for Antonio Conte’s side – would be one to bomb out.
There was something admirable about Hojlund practically defying Amorim when he outlined his intention to stay at United in the Soldier Field mixed zone in Chicago last year.
As small-fry as Hojlund is, United cannot countenance a player undermining the head coach.
Manuel Ugarte has failed to earn game time under Michael Carrick Credit: Getty
Rasmus Hojlund is expected to move permanently to Napoli on loan Credit: Getty
Beyond that, Hojlund’s tone-deaf and crass social media posts that played up to lad culture were unbecoming. Most importantly, Hojlund bombed as a Premier League No9.
During an evening stroll around Chicago, Hojlund caught up with team-mates Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes and Luke Shaw to alert them to this correspondent coincidentally walking behind them.
Fernandes and Shaw did not break stride. Maguire said hello. That is another reason why they’re still at United and Hojlund isn’t.
He had to get the boot.
