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Carrick sacked after worst start in four decades
Carrick was relieved of his duties on Thursday morning after a dreadful start to the season left United 18th in the Premier League. They have won just one of their opening 10 league matches, their worst start to a campaign in four decades.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe attended a senior Ineos staff meeting in Monaco, where Carrick's future is thought to have been discussed with director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada. United reached an agreement in principle with Pochettino on Wednesday, while Carrick was still taking training at Carrington.
Neville says United watched Carrick 'resign on the pitch'
Neville had already called the timing "classless" on the Stick to Football podcast before the announcement, and he went further once the decision was made. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "I think after the Bournemouth game I said at the time that Manchester United effectively watched Michael Carrick resign on the pitch at the end of the game with that lap around, that wave goodbye. I think he was expecting it to come at that point and they were indecisive."
He continued: "They obviously felt that they might be able to get to the international break and there could be some sort of pick-up in results, but it's been a difficult two weeks. Indecision, lack of authority, just basically really poor leadership."
'It would be constructive dismissal'
Neville saved his strongest criticism for the decision-makers being away from Manchester as the process played out. "In the last 24-48 hours it's been spectacularly bad to be in Monaco as an executive and an owner whilst your manager, who's a club legend, is taking training on the pitch and simultaneously approaching the US Soccer Federation to approach Mauricio Pochettino," he added.
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"It's just quite simply disgusting. That falls well below the standard of what you would expect in any other business, in any other industry. It would be constructive dismissal and you'd be getting sued. The optics of being in Monaco whilst the team, the staff, the people who are running the club on a day-to-day basis are in Manchester, it's just not good and it reflects badly on the leadership. I don't think anybody comes out of this well at all."
Pochettino to finish USA duties first
Pochettino is not expected to take charge at Old Trafford until next week.
He will first lead the United States in their CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final against Haiti, with the first leg in Miami on Saturday. The return game in Cincinnati takes place next Tuesday night, finishing in the early hours of Wednesday UK time.