Carrick's role as a player in the glory days under Ferguson meant he retained support among the fanbase despite a string of substandard displays.
Michael Carrick is the latest in a long line of managers to be sacked by Manchester United as they struggle to recapture former glories, but their problems run far deeper than the dugout.
For the first time in 40 years, the 20-time English champions find themselves in the Premier League relegation zone at this stage of the season.
Carrick was handed the job on a permanent basis fewer than six months ago after revitalising the team following the acrimonious departure of Ruben Amorim in January.
Under the 45-year-old, then operating as interim boss, United finished third in the Premier League, securing a return to the Champions League after two seasons away.
But the optimism quickly vanished at the start of this season and for the third consecutive campaign, woeful results have forced United into a mid-season managerial change.
The Red Devils have won just three of their opening 15 games in all competitions.
Carrick joins David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag and Amorim among the managers who have struggled to arrest United's overall decline, despite the occasional trophy, since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
