Peter Schmeichel has defended Michael Carrick after arriving at Carrington early on Thursday morning, and he called the handling of the situation disrespectful. The former goalkeeper also said Manchester United should not pin the club’s problems on one man when the wider failures are still obvious.

Schmeichel's case against the sack talk

Speaking to A Bola, Schmeichel said: "I express all my solidarity with him. I think the way all this is unfolding is very disrespectful toward him. To be honest, I don't think he is doing anything wrong."

He went further, arguing that United's troubles go back well beyond Carrick's spell in charge. "I know the team is in the position it is in the table, but I don't put everything on him," Schmeichel said. "So many things have been happening at Manchester United since Alex Ferguson and David Gill left the club. And that was never corrected."

Schmeichel's main complaint was recruitment. He said United went through the latest transfer window without signing a defender, while buying three midfielders instead. He also said Carrick was not part of those decisions until the moment he was appointed coach.

Why the pressure is still so intense

The pressure is easy to understand. United won only one of their first 10 Premier League games, sit in the relegation zone heading into the international break and are 18th in the table. They have 8 points from 10 matches, 14 goals scored and 19 conceded.

Schmeichel wants the club to keep Carrick in place until January and back him in the market. "I think what is happening is wrong. I think we should stick with Michael," he said. "I think we should try to steady the ship a little, get to January, bring in the players he feels he needs to make the team improve and, then, be realistic about the season's objectives."

The Standard reported that Carrick is expected to be sacked later on Thursday, while A Bola's account points to a longer argument about United's structure and recruitment. Schmeichel's view is clear enough: the coach is not the whole problem, and the club have left too many gaps for him to cover.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →