Michael Carrick remains Man Utd manager against all odds, and Wayne Rooney thinks the Ineos theory behind it is impossible to ignore.

The implosion of Michael Carrick’s spell at Man Utd has been remarkably swift, and it sheds light on Ineos’ decision-making process once again.

What happened after the game is an enduring image, as the fans cheered and sang Carrick’s name while booing the players and the owners.

The players changed their verdict on Carrick with that moment, and Rooney thinks that it allowed Ineos a chance to protect their ego.

Speaking on The Overlap, Rooney said that Ineos don’t want to answer why a third manager is being fired mid-season in their second full season, so the hesitation over firing Carrick is down to protecting their own ego.

He said: “It’s almost a sense of ego of what’s best for them [Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada]. The backlash is going to be on them. There’s probably a bit of, ‘I’m going to protect myself here’.

“They are making a popular decision instead of making the right decision. Are you going to own up to the fact that you made a mistake if you sack him?”

Glazers’ silence called out

The best deal in all this has been made by the Glazers, who are still the majority owners, enjoy the biggest power at Old Trafford and in the boardroom, but have somehow been paid billions to have a shield from criticism now.

Earlier, they were squarely in the fans’ eyes for their poor running of the club, but now, Ineos take all the heat while they count the billions.

Rooney didn’t forget about them during this noise, calling out their lack of communication, which has never been a strength of theirs anyway.

He said: “I’d like to know what the Glazers are thinking. You never hear anything from them. If you run the business, and it’s getting worse every year, surely you have to step in at some point because you can’t keep letting it go down.

“I don’t know the exact figures around the share price but it’s getting worse and worse. They have to step in and speak to Ratcliffe and hold someone accountable if not themselves.”

Accountability and the Glazers don’t go together, but Rooney is on the right track by getting to the root of the problem instead of falling for the latest scapegoat.

Nothing will change until the Glazers go, and as unlikely as that is, it’s the harsh reality.