Every once in a while, we hear heartbreaking stories of loyalty about the guys who have spent ages at one club and have put their egos aside to push their team to the heights of success and glory. But as much as we like to read about them, is it really loyalty that counts in modern-day football? Or it’s maybe just a spicy ingredient of some fine sports documentary, let alone those viral tweets or Instagram posts.If we put that Michae Carrick’s case under scrutiny, we’ll see how fidelity is not a virtue that will provide you with a proper chance in a ruthless world of football business.United crush Arsenal in a thrilling derby as CR7 reaches 800-goals milestonePrivate Michael has stepped out of his duties following last night’s magnificent victory against Arsenal, sealing his short yet highly successful mission at Old Trafford dugout with another massive win. Carrick – former United’s long-lasting servant as a player from 2006 to 2018 – guided the Red Devils in the last three games. He won the two of them (Villareal away in the Champions League and Arsenal tie last night) and almost grabbed all three points at Stamford Bridge.All square at the Bridge! Jorginho gifts a goal away before finding the net in a Premier League classicAs soon as he left the turf after the Arsenal tie, Carrick announced his departure from the club, leaving his place to a newly-promoted more-permanent-than-interim boss Ralf Rangnick. But is it the right move from Glazers and Woodward?They haven’t even considered giving a fair chance to United’s faithful son, who came out of the shadows in the moment of total despair to succeed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and pour in some short-term stability into a side succumbed into shambles.Nobody’s at the wheel! Manchester United finally lose patience with Solskjaer and show him the door!Carrick had been an assistant to Jose Mourinho and Ole for years. Also, he’s probably the longest-serving Manchester United ‘soldier’ after Sir Alex Ferguson, which takes us back to the opening lines of this article, proving how loyalty has somehow turned into a flaw at the Theatre of Dreams.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Instead of turning to a proven working-class hero and giving him the keys of the squad for an extended period regardless of the short-term results (who said Sir Alex case…), the United boardroom has decided to follow a totally different path. They would rather gamble again with an experienced German tactician Ralf Rangnick, who hasn’t won a sole trophy in his decades-long coaching career and has never worked in England and was never in charge of those football greats of Manchester United’s ilk. Sure, Rangnick is much-praised for his ”gegenpresing” philosophy and has influenced the game massively through his ‘pupils’, like Thomas Tuchel and Jurgen Klopp. Still, the fact his peers are exquisite in the Premier League doesn’t mean their master will be outstanding too. And Man Utd can not accept anything less than perfect.When did United become such a second-rate organisation? Carrick continues as a coach due to Rangnick’s work permit issuesBasically, Rangnick promises everything the Red Devils don’t need and vice versa. At this point, it looks like the opposite of the ‘match made in heaven’, and we’ve seen this kind of bondage at Old Trafford too many times in the last couple of seasons. Ever since Sir Alex’s retirement, they’ve been wandering with coaches, short and long-term goals, football philosophy and, last but not least, the club’s identity.United’s way of motivating Rangnick – 11,5 million USD if he brings Haaland to the Theater of DreamsAnd is there anyone more capable of capturing the essence of Man Utd’s identity than Carrick himself, who’s been there for almost two decades.Man United apply the Blues formula – sack a club legend, hire a German, hope for the bestHowever, his a bit shy, next-door-neighbour appearance and presence, accompanied with a lack of coaching experience, is obviously not too attractive for the decision-makers.FULHAM – BOURNEMOUTHThat’s why Carrick has left the stage quietly, just like he took charge of the team, and won’t be seen at Old Trafford anymore. The new era has begun, and the fans hope it will be embellished with much more accolades than the previous one.It will be such a shame if they conclude in a couple of years the solution to their problems was in front of their very eyes. If they determine there was no need to sacrifice private Michael.By: Bojan Babic
