Manchester United have descended into turmoil just two months into the 2026-27 season.
Head coach Michael Carrick has become the latest scapegoat at Old Trafford, with his departure expected to be announced shortly.
A new manager might provide an immediate boost and improve results, but another change in the dugout will not solve the deeper problems eating away at the club.
United need wholesale changes, starting with a hard look at the players who have survived multiple managerial sackings without delivering the consistency and success expected of them.
If the club is serious about breaking that cycle, some familiar faces must finally be shown the exit door in 2027.
Diogo Dalot
Dalot has been at United for eight years, and at 28, he should be one of the most dependable leaders, setting standards through his performances and inspiring those around him.
Instead, the Portuguese defender has too often exposed his limitations, offering little defensive security and only average attacking output from full-back.
His work rate and availability deserve recognition, but those qualities alone cannot justify his place indefinitely. After nearly a decade at Old Trafford, United should expect far more than occasional flashes of promise and inconsistent performances.
Harry Maguire
Maguire was signed for a world-record fee of £80 million in 2019. He started on a positive note and was given the captain’s armband after just six months.
However, a difficult 18-month spell filled with poor performances and relentless criticism (some of it undoubtedly unfair) left him on the brink of leaving Old Trafford.
Maguire has done a decent job since then but he is not at his peak anymore and must be offloaded when his contract expires next summer.
Bruno Fernandes
Loyal, inspirational and often the last line of hope, Fernandes has been the talisman through some of the club’s darkest years.
The Portuguese playmaker has arguably been the finest United performer of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, even surpassing the influence of legendary goalkeeper David de Gea.
However, his relationship with the club hierarchy appears increasingly strained amid frustration over broken promises.
Fernandes still has several years in which to compete at the highest level and pursue the biggest trophies in football.
If United cannot provide the platform he needs to fulfil those ambitions, both parties may have to consider an emotional separation.
Luke Shaw
The Red Devils thought they had signed one of England’s most exciting teenage talents in Luke Shaw in 2014.
Now 31 and approaching the end of his contract, Shaw has endured a career repeatedly disrupted by injuries.
It is particularly frustrating because, at his best, the Englishman has demonstrated the quality to become one of the finest left-backs in the world.
However, availability remains a major concern, and United cannot afford to build their plans around a player whose fitness has so often been uncertain.
Mason Mount
Chelsea pulled off an excellent piece of business when they secured £55m for Mount with just 12 months remaining on his contract at Stamford Bridge.
Three years into his United career, Mount has made 79 appearances, with nearly half of those outings coming from the bench.
He never deserved the prestigious number 7 jersey at Old Trafford.
Manuel Ugarte
On paper, Ugarte looked like an excellent acquisition for the Red Devils.
However, his limitations in possession have repeatedly undermined his effectiveness.
A summer departure appeared increasingly likely before a devastating knee injury sustained during the FIFA World Cup complicated those plans.
Marcus Rashford
The poster boy of the academy never fulfilled his enormous potential.
His loan move to Barcelona should have been a final goodbye but United were forced to reintegrate him after no big clubs showed interest in signing him.
Carrick welcomed him back with open arms but Rashford failed miserably to repay the faith.
Amad Diallo
Diallo possesses the technical ability to trouble defenders, beat opponents in one-on-one situations, and produce moments of individual brilliance.
Unfortunately, that promise has not translated into the decisive contributions in the final third that United need from a regular attacking player.
At 24, he can no longer be viewed as an inexperienced youngster still adjusting to the demands of playing at Old Trafford.
Potential is valuable, but it cannot become a permanent excuse for underwhelming end product.
Joshua Zirkzee
His goal against Como was his first of 2026, while he managed just two goals last season.
The Dutchman is not a striker and he is not all-action number 10.
He should have been offloaded in the summer, and allowing the same situation to drag on beyond January would be criminal.
Stats from Fotmob.com