Manchester United Sack Michael Carrick After Worst Premier League Start as Pochettino Lines Up to Take Over

admin · November 12, 2026 · 7 min read

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick leaves the club as Mauricio Pochettino is lined up to replace him at Old Trafford.

Manchester United Sack Michael Carrick After Worst Premier League Start as Pochettino Lines Up to Take Over

Manchester United have sacked head coach Michael Carrick on Thursday, November 12, after the club’s worst-ever start to a Premier League season left them in the relegation zone, with United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino lined up to replace him.

United confirmed the decision in a statement on Thursday morning, shortly after Carrick left the club’s Carrington training ground. The club said it had reached “the extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve our ambitions” and added that it intends to appoint a permanent successor “as quickly as possible.”

One Win in Ten Leaves United in the Relegation Zone

Carrick departs less than six months after signing a two-year contract running to 2028. United have won just one of their first 10 Premier League matches this season and sit 18th in the table, their worst start to a season in 40 years. Across all competitions, the team has won only three of 15 matches this term.

His final match in charge was Sunday’s 4-4 draw at Aston Villa, when United fell 2-0 behind inside four minutes and trailed 4-2 early in the second half before mounting a late comeback to salvage a point. A turnaround win over Roma in the Champions League last Tuesday had briefly eased the pressure, but it was not enough to convince the club’s hierarchy to keep him in the job.

Carrick, 45, was appointed on January 13, 2026, after Ruben Amorim was sacked earlier that month. He made an immediate impact, winning 12 of his final 17 matches to guide United to a third-place Premier League finish and a return to the Champions League. That run earned him a nomination for Premier League Manager of the Season and a new contract on May 22. He leaves with an overall record of 15 wins from 32 matches, a win rate of 46.9 percent.

Decision Ratified in Monaco as Pochettino Deal Takes Shape

The decision to dismiss Carrick was ratified by minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe at a summit in Monaco, following the recommendation of chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox. Carrick took training in Manchester on Wednesday, the same day United reached a verbal agreement with Pochettino.

Pochettino, the former Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager, has been considered for the United job on three previous occasions. He is now set to become the eighth permanent appointment since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

United have an agreement in place with the Argentine, but he is expected to remain in charge of the United States for their Nations League quarter-final against Haiti on Saturday and Wednesday before starting work at Old Trafford next Thursday. Sky Sports understands Pochettino has a release clause of around £7 million in his newly signed contract with the United States, which was extended in the summer to run through the 2030 World Cup. Talks between United and the United States Soccer Federation are expected to gather pace in the coming days.

Coaching staff members Jonny Evans and Jonathan Woodgate, who worked under Carrick, are also expected to leave the club. The swift boardroom call contrasts with the drawn-out board deliberations at Nvidia, where directors have spent days weighing chief executive Jensen Huang’s future.

Why This Matters

The sacking underlines how quickly fortunes can turn at Old Trafford. Carrick arrived in January as a popular former midfielder who restored belief with a brilliant run to third place, yet a dreadful autumn has left one of world football’s biggest clubs fighting relegation after 10 games.

United’s hierarchy is understood to believe the current squad is considerably better than results and performances have shown, and the club has now turned to a manager with proven Premier League experience. Pochettino took Tottenham to the 2019 Champions League final and has managed two of England’s biggest clubs, but he inherits a team short on confidence and a fan base that has watched seven permanent managers come and go since Ferguson’s departure.

The move also has major consequences for American soccer. Pochettino has coached the United States men’s national team since 2024 and led the side to the round of 16 at the home World Cup this summer. Reports say United States Soccer is expected to make former Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola a top target if Pochettino leaves, a move that would reshape the national team’s plans less than four years before the 2030 World Cup.

Former United captain Gary Neville, speaking to NBC, questioned whether another change of manager would solve the club’s problems. “You can keep changing the manager and thinking that’s going to be the answer. But this has been proven now over 12 years, that’s not the answer,” Neville said, pointing to recruitment and leadership through the club as deeper issues.

Latest Developments

Pochettino’s first match in charge is expected to be the trip to Liverpool on Sunday, November 22, followed by a Champions League visit to Sporting on November 25 and a home match against Brentford on November 28. United have not yet confirmed who will take charge of training in the interim, and no formal announcement of Pochettino’s appointment has been made. The release-clause payment to United States Soccer and the terms of his contract still need to be finalized.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was Michael Carrick sacked by Manchester United?

United sacked Carrick after the club’s worst-ever start to a Premier League season, with only one win from 10 matches leaving them in the relegation zone. The club said a change was necessary “in order to achieve our ambitions.”

Who will replace Michael Carrick at Manchester United?

Mauricio Pochettino, the current head coach of the United States men’s national team, is lined up to replace him. United have an agreement in place with the Argentine, who is expected to start work next Thursday after the United States’ Nations League ties against Haiti.

What was Michael Carrick’s record at Manchester United?

Carrick won 15 of his 32 matches in charge, a win rate of 46.9 percent. He won 12 of 17 matches after his appointment in January 2026 to secure a third-place finish, but won only three of 15 matches this season.

When is Manchester United’s next match?

United’s next match is away at Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday, November 22. Pochettino is expected to be in charge for that game if his appointment is completed in time.

United now face a defining fortnight. The international break gives Pochettino time to settle in, but his first assignment is one of the toughest in English football: a trip to Anfield against Liverpool. For a club that has cycled through managers for more than a decade, the question is whether this appointment finally brings stability, or simply starts the cycle again.