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Two Manchester United players, who are currently out with injuries, were not present when sacked manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer bid goodbye to the squad.
Edinson Cavani, who is out with a recurring tendon problem with no expected return date, was one of them. Paul Pogba, currently out with a thigh injury until the new year was the other.
After United lost 4-1 against Watford 4-2 in the Premier League on Saturday, the club held an emergency board meeting to discuss their manager's future. That led to an announcement about manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer facing the sack.
The 48-year old former United striker spent the next few hours bidding farewell to players, staff members and fans outside the Carrington complex.
Both Cavani and Pogba are currently injured, so they were not present in training, and missed bidding goodbye to Solskjaer. United have appointed their former midfielder Michael Carrick as their interim manager.
Several names have been linked with the Manchester United managerial role. Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly favours Luis Enrique, while Sir Alex Ferguson has backed Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino. However, both managers along with Zinedine Zidane look unlikely to arrive at United due to various reasons.
The front office might as well have to stick with Carrick at least till the end of the current season.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking does not reduce the uncertainty hanging around Manchester United
In his first interview as Manchester United manager, Michael Carrick said that Solskjaer was well aware that it was the lack of results that led to his sack.
Carrick also outlined the fact that the Norwegian left the club in much better shape than what he inherited. Manchester United have many world-class players in their ranks. So any new manager might only need to instil tactical nous to improve the team’s fortunes significantly.
However, the timing of the Norwegian’s sack along with the lack of an immediate replacement means uncertainty still looms over Manchester United this season. The team is currently preparing for a crucial UEFA Champions League away fixture against Villareal. A lack of immediate improvement under Carrick would only exacerbate Manchester United’s woes.
Manchester United are currently eighth in the Premier League, 12 points adrift of league leaders Chelsea. The team also needs to avoid defeat, and win one of their two remaining games to qualify for the Champions League knockouts. During his first interview, Carrick also outlined the similarities in his footballing philosophies he shares with the sacked Solskjaer.
With no set plan formulated by the club in terms of long-term management, Manchester United still have a lot of issues to solve in the next few weeks. Their horrendous form in the league means their title hopes are all but over. Moreover, multiple players need a wake-up call if United are to salvage their stuttering season.
