Michael Carrick inherited one of English football's most complicated jobs when he took charge at Manchester United in January, and veteran manager Tony Pulis believes the club's problems run far deeper than any single individual in the dugout.

Writing for BBC Sport, Pulis — who built his managerial reputation on transforming struggling clubs — argues that United's woes stem from years of dysfunctional recruitment, not from Carrick's shortcomings.

A squad not of Carrick's making

Since 2021, United have cycled through three permanent managers — Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag, and Ruben Amorim — who collectively spent more than £1 billion on 27 major signings. This summer, a further £150 million was committed, primarily on three midfielders.

Pulis questions how many of those players Carrick would have chosen himself, suggesting the manager is working with a group that does not reflect his vision. "When you take over troubled clubs, you have to set non-negotiable principles immediately," Pulis writes, adding that identifying which players are prepared to commit to those standards is a task Carrick will have already completed.

The bounce and its inevitable fade

Carrick's early tenure produced a remarkable turnaround, lifting United to third place and securing Champions League football. Pulis acknowledges that new-manager bounces are real — but warns they rarely last. Players tend to drift back to familiar habits, and results follow.

That regression, Pulis argues, is now visible at Old Trafford. Yet he insists the answer is not to remove Carrick from the equation.

Fernandes and the captaincy question

United's 3-0 defeat to Como in the UEFA Champions League exposed deeper tensions, particularly around Bruno Fernandes. Pulis was forthright in his criticism of the captain's post-match comments and his performance on a wet and difficult night in Italy.

"Proper captains come to the fore when the team needs them most," Pulis writes. "I've always judged leaders by the people who follow them when things go wrong — unfortunately, many of that team followed their captain's example, but in a totally unprofessional way."

Pulis also flagged remarks from defender Lisandro Martinez, who publicly questioned the club's recruitment strategy. While Pulis sympathises with supporter frustration, he notes that such outbursts raise uncomfortable questions about the players themselves and how they view their own contributions.

The Arsenal blueprint

Pulis points to Arsenal and Mikel Arteta as the model United should follow. When Arteta arrived at Arsenal in December 2019, he endured significant criticism despite early success — including the 2020 FA Cup — before the club's project matured into a genuine Premier League title challenge.

Arsenal's decision to back Arteta through difficult periods, allowing him to build a clear identity and culture, is precisely the approach Pulis urges United to adopt with Carrick.

"United have to take their medicine," Pulis writes. "They have to understand the consequences of years of recruitment failures and reset to find a direction and identity again."

Stability, not short-term fixes

Pulis is unambiguous: United are not capable of winning the Premier League title in their current state, regardless of who manages them. But he believes a fit and settled squad under Carrick can still challenge for Champions League places — and that another managerial change would only deepen the club's crisis.

He had supported Carrick's appointment from the outset and remains firm in that view, calling on the club to give its manager the time and backing he needs to rebuild.