By Akani Nkuna
Manchester United have sacked head coach Michael Carrick after a disastrous start to the 2026/27 Premier League season left the club in the relegation zone with just eight points from 10 matches.
The decision follows a nine-match winless run in the league, with United sitting 18th in the standings after registering one victory, five draws and four defeats.
Carrick’s dismissal comes just six months after he was appointed permanently, having impressed during an interim spell that secured Champions League qualification for the club.
United’s only Premier League victory this season came against newly promoted Ipswich Town in August, when they recorded a 5-2 home win.
The club’s struggles continued despite a dramatic comeback against Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday, when two stoppage-time goals rescued a 4-4 draw.
United trailed 2-0 inside the opening four minutes before Bruno Fernandes and Youri Tielemans brought the home side level before half-time.
However, Villa regained control through a John McGinn penalty and a goal from Leon Goretzka, leaving Carrick’s side facing another damaging defeat.
Joshua Zirkzee reduced the deficit in the 92nd minute before Patrick Dorgu headed home Fernandes’ corner in the sixth minute of added time to secure a point.
The equaliser sparked controversy after Villa players protested that United goalkeeper Senne Lammens had impeded opposition goalkeeper Zion Suzuki while challenging for the ball.
The goal stood following a review, but the late comeback was not enough to ease the pressure on Carrick, whose side remained in the bottom three heading into the international break.
United have enjoyed better results in Europe, winning two of their opening four UEFA Champions League league-phase matches.
Their latest European victory came against Roma on 3 November, when they fought back to claim a 3-2 win at Old Trafford.
Carrick initially returned to United as interim head coach in January 2026 following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim, who had been in charge for about 14 months.
The former United midfielder made an immediate impact, winning 11 of his first 16 matches and guiding the club to a third-place Premier League finish.
His performances earned him a permanent appointment in May, with United handing him a contract running until 2028.
However, the improvement did not carry into the new campaign, and Carrick leaves having overseen 32 matches across all competitions, recording 15 victories, eight draws and nine defeats.
Attention has now turned to former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino, who is reportedly close to replacing Carrick.
Sky Sports reported on Wednesday that United had reached an agreement in principle with the Argentine, who currently manages the United States men’s national team.
The appointment has not yet been formally confirmed, and United would need to secure his release from his existing contract with US Soccer.
Pochettino, 54, has extensive Premier League experience, having previously managed Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea.
He spent more than five years at Tottenham between 2014 and 2019, guiding the north London club to four consecutive top-four Premier League finishes.
His side finished runners-up to Chelsea in the 2016/17 season and reached the UEFA Champions League final in 2019, where Tottenham lost 2–0 to Liverpool.
Pochettino subsequently managed Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea before taking charge of the United States national team.
At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he guided the Americans to the Round of 16, where they suffered a 4-1 defeat to Belgium in Seattle on 6 July.
