Fitness, Fernandes and a settled back four: challenges for Manchester United’s next head coach

Michael Carrick was photographed standing in the rain on the Old Trafford touchline as his Manchester United side succumbed to Bournemouth late in his spell in charge, a sequence that underlines the immediate problems awaiting his successor. The next head coach must address on-field issues and the club’s internal discipline while pressing senior figures above the dugout to accept a share of responsibility.

Internal unrest has become a recurring theme for United this season: Bruno Fernandes was dropped after criticising tactical decisions, although Carrick said it was "for football reasons," and Lisandro Martínez publicly blamed director of football Jason Wilcox for failing to supply a squad capable of competing on multiple fronts. Fernandes returned to the team and Martínez apologised for his outburst, but those televised confrontations have compounded the sense of disarray. The club’s profile magnifies such incidents and the players will need to convert anger into performance rather than headlines. Keeping off-field disputes out of the media will be a managerial priority alongside improving results.

Defensive frailties have been conspicuous: goalkeeper Senne Lammens rushed out for Bournemouth’s third goal and made two errors in the 4-4 draw with Aston Villa, Leny Yoro produced a costly mistake against Bournemouth, and Diogo Dalot’s deputising at left-back has been characterised as "somewhere between woeful and inept." No team in Europe’s top five leagues has conceded more than United’s 30 goals in all competitions, and continued rotation at the back has worsened uncertainty. The incoming coach is advised to select a back four and maintain consistency; if Harry Maguire is retained for his experience, the manager must ensure he has pacey partners to compensate for his limitations.

The left-back vacancy created a rotation headache: Luke Shaw’s absence forced Dalot, Ayden Heaven and Noussair Mazraoui into that role in turn. Up front, Benjamin Sesko’s injury deprived United of a recognised No 9 for much of the season and Joshua Zirkzee has rarely been trusted in the role despite scoring against Aston Villa. Matheus Cunha has been used as a false nine and has been more productive in a deeper position, cutting in from the left "as he did at Wolves," but the squad still lacks a traditional centre-forward who can occupy defenders and be fed by wide deliveries. The new coach must choose whether to rebuild Zirkzee’s confidence as a short-term fix or alter Marcus Rashford’s deployment to play through the middle.

Summer recruitment left gaps: the signing of three central midfielders and a backup goalkeeper "did not make for an inspiring summer," and Andrey Santos, Carlos Baleba and Youri Tielemans started together against Bournemouth without providing evidence to justify the outlay. Whoever succeeds Carrick will need clarity about transfer market requirements in either the winter or next summer window, because the current squad deficiencies make competing on all fronts difficult. A new specialist left-back and a centre-forward are presented as necessities, but the club requires further reinforcement across multiple positions.

United’s matches have seen repeated slow starts that have forced recoveries: they conceded in the first and second minutes of Champions League games against Atlético Madrid and Como respectively and were two down at home to Roma after 17 minutes last week. Errors allowed Aston Villa to lead by two within four minutes at Old Trafford, creating steep uphill tasks that the players sometimes fought to overcome. While the squad has shown resilience in parts, the frequency of early concessions and a generally pedestrian tempo have left the side consistently chasing games.

Pressure on the club’s hierarchy has become audible inside Old Trafford, where supporters directed a mixture of expletives at figures above Carrick and told ownership to sell up. Jason Wilcox has absorbed much of the individual criticism, while the Glazers have been accused of driving the club downwards and Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment and involvement in football operations have "yielded little success." Carrick was the public face of those failings on the touchline, and the next head coach must insist that someone higher up speaks to the media to explain the club’s position because "it is unfair to expect the coach to do so."

United will next face a fiery atmosphere at Anfield, presenting the incoming manager with an immediate test and an opportunity to show a change in dynamic on the pitch.