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UK, November 12, 2026 - Manchester United have sacked head coach Michael Carrick after the club’s worst start to a Premier League season in four decades. The former midfielder leaves with the team sitting in the relegation zone, having won just one league match from their opening 10 fixtures.
Carrick was informed of the decision on Thursday morning following meetings between chief executive Omar Berrada, director of football Jason Wilcox and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Mauricio Pochettino is expected to take over, with reports indicating a framework agreement is already in place.
Carrick reported to the Carrington training ground on Thursday as usual. After a meeting with senior club officials, he was dismissed. United are expected to issue an official statement confirming the change later today.
The decision ends a turbulent spell for the 45-year-old, who was appointed permanent head coach in May after a successful interim period. Under his leadership last season, United finished third and returned to the Champions League. This campaign has been the opposite.
United have taken only eight points from 10 Premier League matches. Their sole victory came against Ipswich Town in August. An eight-match winless run left them 18th in the table heading into the international break. Heavy defeats, including a 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth and a 4-1 Champions League reverse at Como, accelerated the pressure.
Results have been the decisive factor. United’s defence has been particularly porous, conceding heavily across competitions. The side has also struggled for consistency and control in midfield, areas Carrick was expected to improve given his playing background.
Club sources indicate that Berrada and Wilcox had already lost confidence that Carrick could reverse the slide. Although the hierarchy gave him additional matches after the Bournemouth defeat, the subsequent results, a loss at Chelsea, a narrow Champions League win over Roma and a chaotic 4-4 draw with Aston Villa, failed to convince them.
Player unrest has also surfaced. Public comments from senior figures including Bruno Fernandes and Lisandro Martinez earlier in the season highlighted internal tensions. Combined with fan frustration, the situation became untenable.
Carrick’s departure is the third permanent managerial change at Old Trafford since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group took a stake in the club. He follows Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim.
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United have moved quickly on a successor. Multiple reports state the club have reached a verbal agreement in principle with Mauricio Pochettino, currently head coach of the United States national team. Pochettino’s contract with US Soccer contains a release clause understood to be worth around £7–7.5 million. Talks over personal terms are said to be advanced.
Other names linked with the role in recent days included Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann, but Pochettino is the clear frontrunner.
United’s next Premier League fixture is away at Liverpool on 22 November. A new manager would have limited time on the training ground before that match. An interim coach may take charge in the short term if Pochettino’s arrival is delayed by contractual formalities with US Soccer.
The appointment of an experienced coach is intended to stabilise a squad that has shown flashes of quality but lacked consistency and defensive organisation. Supporters will expect an immediate improvement in results and a clearer style of play.
For Carrick, the exit ends a short and difficult first permanent managerial role at the highest level. As a club legend who won multiple trophies as a player, he leaves with significant goodwill among large sections of the fanbase despite the poor results.
Carrick stepped up as interim head coach in January 2026 after Amorim’s dismissal. He steadied the side, guided them to a third-place finish and earned a permanent two-year contract in May. Expectations were high that his understanding of the club and calm leadership would deliver progress.
Instead, a difficult summer transfer window and a series of poor performances left United looking over their shoulders at the bottom of the table for the first time in decades. The hierarchy ultimately decided change was required before the situation deteriorated further.