Manchester United have sacked Michael Carrick as head coach after a disastrous start to the Premier League season, with Mauricio Pochettino lined up to replace him.
Carrick, 45, leaves less than six months after signing a permanent contract, with United sitting 18th in the table following just one victory in their opening 10 league matches.
The decision follows talks in Monaco involving co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox. United have confirmed Carrick’s departure and are seeking to appoint a permanent successor as quickly as possible.
According to Sky Sports News, Pochettino has verbally agreed to take over, although his appointment has not yet been formally confirmed.
Why Manchester United sacked Carrick
United’s league position represents a remarkable decline from last season, when Carrick guided the club to third place and Champions League qualification.
His side have collected just eight points from their opening 10 Premier League matches, winning once, drawing five and losing four. They have conceded 19 goals and are one point from safety.
United’s only league victory came against Ipswich Town on 30 August, a 5-2 win at Old Trafford. Eight league matches without a win followed, leaving the club facing its worst start to a top-flight campaign for 40 years.
The pressure intensified in October when United suffered a 4-1 Champions League defeat away to Como, followed by a 3-0 home loss against Bournemouth.
Carrick’s side subsequently lost 2-0 at Chelsea, although a dramatic 3-2 Champions League victory over Roma offered some encouragement.
Sunday’s 4-4 draw with Aston Villa at Old Trafford proved to be his final match in charge.
United twice recovered from two-goal deficits, with Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu scoring in stoppage time to rescue a point. But the result extended their winless league run and left them in the relegation zone heading into the international break.
Carrick remained determined to continue after the match, insisting he was not considering stepping aside and believed his players could turn their form around.
However, the club’s hierarchy decided a change was necessary, bringing an abrupt end to a permanent appointment that had initially promised a period of stability.
From Champions League qualification to the relegation zone
When Carrick returned to Old Trafford in January 2026 following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal, United were struggling for results and consistency.
He made an immediate impact, overseeing victories against Manchester City and Arsenal in his first two matches and restoring confidence within the squad.
United won 12 of their final 17 Premier League matches under Carrick, collecting more points than any other club during that period and climbing to third place.
Those results convinced the club’s hierarchy that he deserved the opportunity to continue.
On 22 May, United announced that Carrick had signed a contract until 2028, with Wilcox praising the results and positive environment he had created.
But the improvement proved short-lived. United have struggled defensively throughout the new season and have failed to reproduce the performances that secured Champions League football.
They have also been eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Brighton and sit 17th in the Champions League league-phase table.
The contrast between last season’s recovery and the current position has ultimately cost Carrick his job.
A long Manchester United association ends
Carrick’s departure closes another chapter in an association with Manchester United stretching back two decades.
He joined the club from Tottenham in 2006 and became a central figure in Sir Alex Ferguson’s midfield, making 464 appearances and winning five Premier League titles, the Champions League, FA Cup, two League Cups and Europa League.
After retiring in 2018, he moved into coaching under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He also served as caretaker manager for three matches following Solskjaer’s departure in November 2021.
Carrick subsequently spent two-and-a-half years managing Middlesbrough, guiding the Championship club to the play-offs in his first season and the League Cup semi-finals in 2023-24.
His return to United earlier this year was initially welcomed as an opportunity for someone who understood the club to restore stability after another difficult period.
Although his permanent appointment has ended in disappointment, Carrick’s contribution as a player and his success in guiding United back into the Champions League last season remain significant parts of his Old Trafford story.
Mauricio Pochettino lined up as replacement
Former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is expected to succeed Carrick, with negotiations understood to be at an advanced stage.
The 54-year-old Argentine is currently head coach of the United States national team, having taken charge in September 2024 and led the country at this summer’s World Cup.
He signed a new contract with US Soccer in August, extending his commitment until 2030, but is understood to be keen on returning to Premier League management.
Sky Sports reported on Wednesday that United had reached an agreement in principle with Pochettino, with a release clause worth approximately £7m understood to be part of his USA contract.
The Argentine has previously managed Southampton, Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. He has also been considered for the United job on several occasions.
However, his appointment remains subject to the necessary arrangements with US Soccer, and no official confirmation has yet been issued.
What happens next for Manchester United?
United’s next Premier League fixture is away to Liverpool on Sunday 22 November, a demanding assignment for whoever is in charge.
Pochettino is expected to remain with the United States for their forthcoming Concacaf Nations League matches against Haiti on 14 and 18 November, potentially leaving him only a few days to prepare for the trip to Anfield.
Whoever takes charge will inherit a squad struggling for confidence, a defence that has conceded almost two goals per league match and a team facing an unexpected battle near the bottom of the table.
For United’s hierarchy, Carrick’s dismissal represents another managerial change in the continuing search for stability and consistent results.
Less than six months after rewarding him for taking United back into the Champions League, the club has decided to move in a different direction.
The immediate task for his successor will be to arrest the decline and lift Manchester United out of the relegation zone.
