Manchester United Sack Michael Carrick After Worst Premier League Start in Years as Pochettino Move Nears

Manchester United have sacked Michael Carrick as head coach, ending his ten-month spell in charge after the club's worst start to a Premier League season in years. The decision was confirmed in an official club statement on Thursday morning, November 12, 2026, with United sitting 18th in the table — in the relegation zone — after taking just eight points from their first ten league games.

Old Trafford stadium at dusk under floodlights

In short: Manchester United sacked Michael Carrick on Thursday, November 12, 2026, after one win in ten Premier League games left the club 18th in the table. United said they had reached "the extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve our ambitions." Former Tottenham and Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino, the current United States head coach, has already agreed terms in principle and is lined up to replace him, with United expected to trigger a reported £7 million release clause in his USA contract.

Why United acted now

Carrick's fate was sealed by a run of results that left one of world football's biggest clubs in the relegation zone. United have won just one of their opening ten Premier League matches, drawing five and losing four. The final blow came on Sunday, when they salvaged a 4-4 draw with Aston Villa — a result that proved to be the last match of Carrick's tenure.

United's hierarchy had already been weighing the decision. Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe held a meeting in Monaco on Wednesday with chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox, and Carrick was dismissed on Thursday morning after a meeting with Wilcox and Berrada at the Carrington training ground. Carrick had arrived at Carrington as normal on Thursday before being told the news, and the club issued its statement shortly after he left the training ground.

Carrick, 45, had been given a stay of execution after a 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth on October 25, but the board decided to use the November international break to make the change, giving a new manager ten days before league football resumes.

The numbers behind the worst start in years

The statistics make grim reading for United supporters. Eight points from ten games is the club's worst-ever start to a Premier League season, and 18th place is their lowest position at this stage of a season for 40 years. United have scored freely at times — the 4-4 draw with Villa was their second four-goal game of the run — but a leaky defence and a habit of dropping points from winning positions have left them among the bottom three.

Carrick was initially appointed on January 13, 2026, as interim head coach until the end of the 2025-26 season, replacing Ruben Amorim with United seventh in the table. He later signed a two-year contract, but departs less than six months after putting pen to paper. His exit continues a churn that has seen United appoint eight permanent managers since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

How Thursday morning unfolded

Reports of the sacking broke on Thursday morning, with Fabrizio Romano and other journalists reporting the decision before the club's official confirmation. Sky Sports reported that United reached "the extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve our ambitions" and that the club intends to appoint a permanent successor "as quickly as possible."

United's statement read: "Manchester United can confirm that Michael Carrick has departed his role as men's first-team head coach." The club thanked Carrick for his service, having played for United as a midfielder for 12 years before moving into coaching.

A football manager standing alone on the touchline at night under stadium floodlights

Pochettino: what happens next

Mauricio Pochettino has already reached a verbal agreement in principle with United, and the club made formal contact with U.S. Soccer on Wednesday night about his release. The 54-year-old Argentine signed a new contract with the United States that runs to the 2030 World Cup, but it includes a release clause reported by Sky Sports at £7 million, with other reports putting the buyout at around $10 million.

As things stand, Pochettino is expected to remain in charge of the USA for their two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarter-final against Haiti — on Saturday, November 14 in Miami and Tuesday, November 17 in Cincinnati — before starting work at Old Trafford the following Thursday. His first match in charge is expected to be the trip to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, November 22, a 4:30 p.m. kick-off. United do not play again until that Liverpool game, which gives the club ten days to complete the appointment.

Pochettino, who previously managed Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea in the Premier League, would become United's eighth permanent appointment since Ferguson retired. Before him, free agents including Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann and Antonio Conte had been linked with the job, along with Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler and Aston Villa manager Unai Emery.

What this means for United

The sacking is a brutal verdict on a season that has unravelled fast. United's squad, expensively assembled, now sits in the relegation zone in November — a position the club has not occupied at this stage of a season in four decades. Whoever takes over inherits a team short on confidence, with a defence that has conceded heavily and a fanbase that has grown restless after years of managerial churn.

For Pochettino, the job is one of the biggest in world football — and one of the most demanding. He would arrive with a reputation for rebuilding sides and developing young players, but with little time: the Liverpool trip on November 22 is followed by a congested winter schedule. The international break at least gives him a full week on the training ground before his first game, if the release is completed on schedule. For the latest on the appointment, follow the latest developments in the Pochettino move here.

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 — one win, five draws and four defeats in ten games, leaving them 18th in the table on eight points. The club said it had reached "the extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve our ambitions."

When was Michael Carrick sacked?

Carrick was sacked on Thursday morning, November 12, 2026. He arrived at the Carrington training ground as normal and was dismissed after a meeting with director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada. United issued an official statement shortly after he left the training ground.

Who will replace Michael Carrick at Manchester United?

Mauricio Pochettino is lined up to replace him. The former Tottenham, Chelsea and Southampton boss, currently head coach of the United States, has reached a verbal agreement in principle with United. The club must trigger a release clause in his USA contract, reported at £7 million by Sky Sports and around $10 million by other outlets.

When will Pochettino start at Manchester United?

Pochettino is expected to stay with the USA for their Nations League quarter-final against Haiti on November 14 and November 17, then start at United the following Thursday. His first match in charge is expected to be away at Liverpool on Sunday, November 22.

How long was Michael Carrick in charge of Manchester United?

Carrick was appointed interim head coach on January 13, 2026, replacing Ruben Amorim, and later signed a two-year contract. He departs less than six months after signing that deal, after ten months in charge in total.

How many managers have Manchester United had since Sir Alex Ferguson retired?

Pochettino would be United's eighth permanent appointment since Ferguson retired in 2013, underlining the churn at Old Trafford over the past 13 years.

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