# Manchester United's coaching crisis

> New manager must fix discipline, tactics and leadership to save United.
- Title: Manchester United's coaching crisis · the Guardian | Shortify
- Summary: New manager must fix discipline, tactics and leadership to save United. Manchester United's new head coach must address internal discipline, tactical issues…
- Keywords: manchester united, bruno fernandes, michael carrick, jason wilcox, jim ratcliffe, back four, tactical issues, internal discipline, the Guardian
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/football/2026/nov/12/the-problems-awaiting-manchester-united-next-manager
- Published: 2026-11-12T17:00:22+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: manchester united, bruno fernandes, michael carrick, jason wilcox, jim ratcliffe, back four, tactical issues, internal discipline, sports
## Carrick's last game
Michael Carrick's final match saw United lose to Bournemouth in rain as Bruno Fernandes was dropped for tactical reasons.

> Bruno Fernandes was dropped after calling out his head coach’s tactics
## Fernandes' criticism
Bruno Fernandes openly criticized the team’s tactics after being left on the bench against Bournemouth.

> Bruno Fernandes was dropped after calling out his head coach’s tactics
## Defensive chaos
United conceded 30 goals in all competitions, with Leny Yoro and Diogo Dalot making costly errors.

> No team in Europe’s top five leagues have conceded more than United’s 30 in all competitions
## Player morale
Players face low morale with internal discipline issues and a need to focus on performance, not interviews.

> The players need to harness their anger to ensure they create headlines for performances, not interviews
## Ownership pressures
Jason Wilcox and Sir Jim Ratcliffe face fan anger over club performance and tactical decisions.

> Jason Wilcox has taken most of the individual criticism, but the ownership were told in no uncertain terms to sell up
## Tactical fixes
New coach must pick a back four with pace to complement Harry Maguire’s experience.

> If Harry Maguire’s experience is deemed mandatory, he needs pace around him to make up for what he lacks
## Midfield struggles
Three midfielders struggled in their first game, including Andrey Santos who joined for £50m.

> Andrey Santos, Carlos Baleba and Youri Tielemans started together against Bournemouth and offered no evidence for why so much was spent on them
## Slow starts
United conceded early in games against Atlético Madrid and Roma, with a 2-0 deficit against Aston Villa.

> They conceded in the first and second minute respectively, and were two down at home to Roma after 17 minutes
## Key takeaway

Manchester United's new head coach must address internal discipline, tactical issues and ownership pressures to stabilize the team.