Carrick’s pre-game Cunha problem threatens chances of permanent Man Utd job | OneFootball

Michael Carrick played down the injury issue that ruled Matheus Cunha out of Manchester United’s clash with Brentford on Monday, but pre-game reports have shed light an issue the caretaker boss could do with stamping out if he’s to take the permanent reins at Old Trafford.

Carrick has won eight and drawn two of his 12 games in charge of the Red Devils to make them near certainties to qualify for the Champions League next season and give himself a strong chance of being handed a new contract at the end of the season.

Our friends at TEAMtalk revealed on Saturday that United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants former England boss Gareth Southgate to be considered as he ‘has consistently felt that the 55-year-old’s profile would align well with the demands of Old Trafford’.

It’s stressed that Carrick remains the ‘frontrunner’ for the job as the interim boss detailed a ‘chat’ he had with Ratcliffe earlier this week.

Carrick said: “I met with Sir Jim Ratcliffe at Carrington. We had a chat, a cup of tea. It was nice to see him showing his support. As a football club we’re hugely connected, it’s a big part. I’m really conscious that’s how it should be.”

It’s been claimed that Carrick’s ‘personality does not align with what the British billionaire would typically go for’ and that Ratcliffe is normally ‘drawn to alpha characters’. The news which broke hours before kick-off at Old Trafford on Monday is unlikely to have convinced Ratcliffe of Carrick’s strength of character.

Cunha was always a doubt for the game after being replaced by Mason Mount in the latter stages of their 1-0 win over Chelsea last weekend and Carrick revealed why he was left out of the squad in his pre-match interview.

“He just had a bit of a sore hip flexor after the Chelsea game,” Carrick told Sky Sports. “It looked promising in the week but he didn’t recover in time, as hoped.”

But we, and Brentford, knew Cunha wouldn’t be playing by mid-afternoon on Monday as several outlets revealed he hadn’t made it thanks to yet another team leak in a rich history of them in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson years.

United ‘launched an investigation to find the mole’ soon after Carrick’s interim reign began as team leaks which plagued Ruben Amorim’s tenure continued.

Amorim was said to be ‘fuming’ as tactical and personnel details were leaked long before games and reports claimed several players were questioned, including Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo.

Team leaks are often seen as a sign of discontent in the dressing room. That was certainly the case last week when we learned Liam Rosenior’s team news for Chelsea’s game against Brighton from Marc Cucurella’s barber, and there will surely have been a few frustrated Red Devils under Amorim.

The Jose Mourinho regime was similarly porous and the suggestion that it’s Carrick’s lack of authority that’s the cause of the leaks rather falls down given the very same problems existed under one of the most alpha managers in football history.

Assuming this was a genuine team leak rather than dumb luck from a cocksure reporter taking a not unreasonable punt on an injured player remaining injured, this is a Manchester United problem rather than a Michael Carrick one.

But it’s an issue the former midfielder could really do without as every detail of his stewardship of the club is closely monitored by Ratcliffe and the INEOS as they hope to avoid another managerial mistake.