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Man Utd sack Michael Carrick with Mauricio Pochettino set to be appointed after worst start to Premier League season
Michael Carrick has been sacked by Man Utd less than six months after signing a two-year deal; USA boss Mauricio Pochettino has verbally agreed to take over after Carrick oversaw United's worst-ever Premier League start; United are in the relegation zone after 10 league games
Thursday 12 November 2026 12:01, UK
Michael Carrick has been sacked as Manchester United head coach with Mauricio Pochettino lined up to replace him.
Carrick departs less than six months after signing a two-year contract having overseen the club's worst-ever start to a Premier League season with United in the relegation zone after picking up one win in 10 matches.
In a statement on Thursday morning, shortly after Carrick left the training ground, United said they reached "the extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve our ambitions".
- Man Utd live updates - react to Carrick news
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United, who have an agreement in place with USA head coach Pochettino, say they intend to appoint a permanent successor "as quickly as possible". He is set to be the eighth permanent appointment since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
As things stand, the Argentine is likely to remain in charge of the USA for their Nations League against Haiti on Saturday and Wednesday before starting work next Thursday.
Sky Sports News understands Pochettino has a £7m release clause in his newly-signed contract with the USA. Talks with the United Soccer Federation are expected to gather pace in the coming days.
Carrick took training in Manchester on Wednesday as United reached a verbal agreement with Pochettino.
Meanwhile, club chiefs were at a Monaco summit with minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. That is where the decision to sack Carrick was ratified by Ratcliffe following the recommendation of chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox.
United's hierarchy, including Wilcox and Berrada, are understood to feel that the current squad is much better than results and performances have shown.
Carrick's exit follows United's 4-4 draw against Aston Villa on Sunday, when they fell 2-0 down inside four minutes and then 4-2 down early in the second half before mounting a last-gasp comeback to draw.
The rescue job followed a similar turnaround to beat Roma in the Champions League last Tuesday but was not enough to convince the United hierarchy to continue with the former midfielder in charge.
Jonny Evans and Jonathan Woodgate, who were part of the coaching set up under Carrick, are also expected to leave.
Carrick was initially appointed as United boss in January 2026 on a contract until the end of the season, following Ruben Amorim's sacking earlier in that campaign. He delivered a brilliant run of results, winning 12 of 17 matches to earn a third-place finish in the Premier League and a return to the Champions League.
Carrick was nominated for Premier League Manager of the Season and, on May 22, signed a new contract running to 2028. However, just three wins in 15 matches this term have cost him his job.
Former Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss Pochettino has been considered for the United job on three previous occasions, but finally now looks set for the Old Trafford hot seat.
Neville: United need bigger solution than sacking Carrick
Sky Sports' Gary Neville to NBC:
"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.
"It's rinse and repeat. Ruben Amorim, Erik ten Hag, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Carrick, Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal, David Moyes, Ralf Rangnick - some of them are world-class managers who have had success. There are a lot of promising young managers there, ex-players who know the club as well.
"None of it has worked because if you've got a poor performance department, poor recruitment department, you've not got leadership that is strong right through the spine of the football club you will fail."
Carrick's Man Utd reign in numbers
United won 12 out of 17 games last season under Carrick - a 70.1 per cent win rate, which saw him comfortably sit with the best record of permanent Old Trafford managers.
But he leaves with a record of 15 wins in 32 matches - a rate of just 46.9 per cent, which leaves him only ahead of Ruben Amorim, the man he replaced in the dugout last season, in the years since Ferguson's retirement.
Carrick has overseen three wins in 15 matches this campaign (20 per cent). They won eight out of 21 games before Amorim's sacking last year (38.1 per cent).
His dropoff brings echoes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The former United striker's win percentage fell from 73.7 per cent as interim manager (14 wins in 19 games) to 51.7 per cent having been appointed on a permanent basis (77 out of 149).
Carrick had three games as caretaker boss after Solskjaer's departure, wins over Villarreal and Arsenal and a draw with Chelsea. These matches are not counted towards his record as permanent manager.
Ferguson's shadow
Since the retirement in 2013 of Ferguson, who won 26 major trophies in 27 years at Old Trafford and had a 59.7 per cent win ratio, United have struggled to find a long-term figurehead.
Ferguson took charge of 1,500 games with United. In 731 games since he retired in 2013, Carrick was the club's seventh permanent manager in addition to interim boss Ralf Rangnick and caretakers Ryan Giggs, Carrick himself, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Darren Fletcher.
Jose Mourinho has the best win percentage of those permanent managers, with 58.3 per cent, 84 out of 144 games.
Mourinho also won the most trophies of any manager since Ferguson, with a League Cup and Europa League double in 2016-17 having opened that season with the Community Shield.
Erik ten Hag won both domestic cups, Louis van Gaal lifted an FA Cup and David Moyes another Community Shield.
Timeline: INEOS' time in charge at Man Utd so far
December 2023: Sir Jim Ratcliffe's deal to purchase a stake in United is announced.
January 2024: United appoint Omar Berrada from rivals Manchester City as their new chief executive. The move was made by Ratcliffe in consultation with Joel and Avram Glazer but INEOS were the driving force behind the move.
February 2024: Ratcliffe completes deal to acquire 27.7 per cent stake in Manchester United, which gives his company, INEOS, control of football operations.
April 2024: INEOS and Ratcliffe shake-up continued as United appoint Jason Wilcox as technical director after less than a year as director of football at Southampton, which was his first executive role in senior football.
July 2024: Man Utd agree deal with Newcastle United to appoint Dan Ashworth as sporting director after a lengthy period of gardening leave.
July 2024: Erik ten Hag is handed a one-year contract extension after winning the FA Cup by beating Manchester City 2-1 in the final. He is backed with the signings of Matthijs De Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte and Leny Yoro.
July 2024: Christopher Vivell is hired as director of global talent on a temporary basis.
October 2024: United sack manager Ten Hag after winning just four of their 14 games to start the 2024/25 season. United in 14th and Ruud van Nistelrooy appointed as interim boss.
November 2024: Ruben Amorim is confirmed as the club's new head coach, signing a contract until June 2027. United paid £9.2m to release him from Sporting.
December 2024: Ashworth leaves his role as sporting director after just five months. He oversaw a £200m spend in the transfer market.
December 2024: Wilcox steps into Ashworth's role as sporting director.
February 2025: Vivell is appointed as permanent director of recruitment.
June 2025: Wilcox is promoted to director of football after Sir Dave Brailsford ends association with the club. He is tasked with overseeing football operations, including recruitment.
January 5 2026: Amorim is sacked after 14 months in charge after winning only 24 of his 63 games in charge. Darren Fletcher is appointed as interim boss.
January 13 2026: Michael Carrick is appointed as head coach until the end of the 2025/26 season.
May 2026: After securing Champions League football and winning 12 of his 17 games in charge, Carrick is rewarded with a two-year deal at Old Trafford.
November 12 2026: Carrick leaves United following a draw with Aston Villa, which left the club in the Premier League relegation zone after 10 games.
From Champions League finish to drop zone: How Carrick's reign unravelled
Sky Sports' Nick Wright:
Michael Carrick has been sacked as Manchester United head coach, so how did his Old Trafford reign go so wrong, so quickly?
The former midfielder guided United to a Champions League finish last season but after their worst start to a season in 40 years, they are in the Premier League relegation zone at the start of November.
United salvaged a 4-4 draw against Aston Villa in Carrick's final game in charge, but they have only won once in 10 Premier League fixtures so far despite finishing last term on a high, with former Spurs and Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino set to take over.
Man Utd fixtures
Liverpool (A) - Premier League - Sunday November 22, live on Sky Sports
Sunday 22nd November 4:00pm
Kick off 4:30pm
Sporting (A) - Champions League - Wednesday November 25
Brentford (H) - Premier League - Saturday November 28
Newcastle (A) - Premier League - Wednesday December 2, live on Sky Sports
Coventry (H) - Premier League - Saturday December 5
RB Leipzig (H) - Champions League - Tuesday December 8
Your views on Carrick's exit: 'Nothing is going to change'
Inkyman
Wrong move, they let Carrick down in the summer with the signings, nothing is going to change until they sell up and get rid of the board too, fancying throwing a lad who's United through and through under the bus, definitely Championship club next season.
MikeM
When will people realise it was never the managers. United have had some of the best managers, it's the players. They are very lazy, and all the last few goals they've conceded are through individual mistakes.
Dean
Sad to see Carrick go. True Man Utd legend. Got let down be the board and owners. I hope they give him another role in the club.
David
Do you think it's right that the managers are the ones who are losing their jobs when it's clear to everyone that the issue with Utd is higher up - when do they become accountable?
Gaza
Absolute joke, same old story blame the management for inept boardroom running of the club. When will they learn the club needs investment in the right players and stability at manager level? Look at Arsenal and how they stuck with Arteta and the rewards they are now benefiting.
