Peter Schmeichel has launched a stinging attack on Manchester United's handling of Michael Carrick, calling their treatment of the head coach "disrespectful" as the club hold talks with Mauricio Pochettino over a potential move to Old Trafford.

ESPN has reported that Pochettino, 54, is the frontrunner to take charge at Manchester United, with his representatives already in discussions with the club. That development has prompted a sharp response from club legend Schmeichel, who insists the deeper problems at United run far higher than Carrick.

"I absolutely do feel sympathy for him. I think the way this is playing out is very disrespectful to him," Schmeichel said on The Overlap Daily. "If I'm honest, I don't think he's doing anything wrong."

The former goalkeeper argued that the club's troubles trace back to the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill, a period from which Manchester United have never truly recovered. He pointed to the failure to sign a single defender during the most recent transfer window as a glaring example of poor decision-making above the manager's level.

"There are so many things that have been going on at Manchester United literally since Sir Alex and David Gill left the club — and it's never been corrected," Schmeichel said. "It's not been the correct people, not the right people in charge, and slowly it's just gone worse."

Schmeichel was particularly scathing about the club's inactivity in the transfer market, noting that conceding 30 goals in 10 matches makes winning games an near impossible task — and that those recruitment failures cannot be laid at Carrick's door.

"They got through a whole transfer window without signing a single defender. You can't win games if you concede 30 goals in 10 games — that was not addressed," he said.

The Danish great urged United to hold their nerve and back Carrick into the January transfer window, allowing the manager to bring in the players he believes the squad needs.

"I think we should stick with Michael. I think we should just try and steady the ship a little bit and then get into January and then sign the players that he feels he needs to bring the team forward," Schmeichel added.