From my experience working with Premier League clubs, owners always wanted my assessment of the squad I had inherited. They were interested not only in each player’s ability on the field, but also in their financial value and potential worth in the transfer market.
I was regularly asked whether I could improve certain players and whether the club could recoup money from those who were not part of my plans, helping to strengthen its financial position.
I understood the reasoning because a manager is expected to support the club fully and deliver the best possible results both on and off the field. However, balancing those responsibilities is not always easy.
When taking charge of a squad in which the club has invested heavily, a manager cannot always speak with complete honesty about every player.
The club naturally wants to preserve a player’s market value, and maintaining a positive public message for that purpose can sometimes be extremely challenging.
Loyalty to the club means publicly criticising players is rarely an option. Instead, the manager must hope that regular observers recognise the difficult situation surrounding the squad.
Defender Lisandro Martinez has recently raised public concerns about the club’s recruitment policy, and many supporters probably share his doubts or want a clearer explanation of its approach.
From a managerial point of view, however, Martinez’s remarks also create important questions about his own perspective.
His comments make me question whether he considers his own time at the club successful. If he does, how many other first-team players hold the same opinion instead of accepting that they may also have contributed to the team’s difficulties?
Dealing with players who have an exaggerated view of their own performances presents another major challenge, and it is an issue that must be confronted.
That is another concern for Michael, but an even more pressing matter is how he responds to captain Bruno Fernandes’ remarks following United’s heavy Champions League defeat against Como on Wednesday.
It was painful for me to watch Michael face the media in Italy after the match.
I have managed matches in which my team lost despite giving everything, but watching a coach answer for a display that appeared to lack commitment, competitiveness and effort was deeply upsetting.
Hearing the captain’s response was equally concerning because his own performance reflected the same lack of determination. It underlined just how difficult the current situation at the club must be.
Michael’s tactical instructions must be carried out, but doing so away against Como on a cold, wet and windy evening requires maturity, courage and resilience.
Fernandes appeared to have a strong relationship with Carrick last season when United were climbing the standings, but both the team and its individual players have since lost momentum in the manner already described.
The best captains, including several outstanding leaders I was fortunate enough to work with, step forward when their team and club need them most.
I have always measured leadership by whether others continue to follow when circumstances become difficult. Sadly, many players copied their captain’s example on this occasion, but they did so in a thoroughly unprofessional manner.
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