Manchester United have sacked Michael Carrick. The club confirmed on Thursday morning that the head coach has departed his role, ending a tenure that began with a rescue act in January and unravelled into one of the worst starts to a season in the club's Premier League history. United sit 18th in the table, inside the relegation zone, after winning just one of their first ten league matches — and all signs point to the head coach of the United States men's national team, Mauricio Pochettino, as the man to replace him.

Carrick was told of the decision on Thursday morning by chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox, after the pair met minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco on Wednesday, according to ESPN. The expectation that he would go had been building all week, as reports emerged that United had been working to convince Pochettino to take the job.

“After a disappointing start to the season, the club has come to the extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve our ambitions. Michael is, and always will be, a Manchester United legend.” — Manchester United statement

From Rescue Act To Relegation Zone

Carrick's story at United is a tale of two halves. He rejoined the club in January and steered it to a third-place Premier League finish, winning 12 of the final 17 games of the 2025-26 season — the run the club itself praised in its farewell statement. This season, everything fell apart. United have won just three of 15 matches in all competitions. Sunday's wild 4-4 draw with Aston Villa left them 18th, and a comeback win over Roma in the Champions League on November 3 proved to be the exception rather than the turning point.

The numbers explain the timing. United acted during the November international break, with no league game until the trip to Liverpool on November 22 — a window that gives a new manager a full week with most of the squad before the hardest fixture on the calendar. Waiting any longer would have meant handing the Anfield trip to a caretaker, or to a manager already out of time.

Pochettino Is Closing In

All signs point to Pochettino. Reports on Wednesday said United and the Argentine were finalising a deal, and ESPN reported that United had made contact with U.S. Soccer about hiring him. Sky Sports reported on Thursday morning that there was a verbal agreement in principle, while the BBC reported on Wednesday that Pochettino was ready to accept the job if it were formally offered. The Guardian reported a framework agreement between the two sides.

One thing is important to be clear about: United have not officially named a successor. The club's statement confirms only Carrick's departure. The Pochettino move is reported, not announced — but the reporting is now coming from every direction at once, and the expectation in England is that confirmation will follow within days.

The deal would not be cheap. Pochettino signed a four-year contract extension with U.S. Soccer in August, keeping him with the national team through the 2030 World Cup. That contract reportedly carries a buyout clause of around $10 million, which United would need to pay to release him. Negotiations between the two parties were expected to accelerate within the next 24 hours, according to reports.

The 54-year-old Argentine has managed at the top of the English game before, with Tottenham and Chelsea, and he has led the United States since September 2024. At last summer's home World Cup he set American records for wins (three) and goals (11) at a single tournament, taking the team to the round of 16 before a 4-1 defeat to Belgium ended the run.

The Problem For American Soccer

For the United States, the timing could hardly be worse. The national team play Haiti twice during this international break, and losing the head coach weeks after a home World Cup — with the next World Cup cycle only just beginning — would leave U.S. Soccer scrambling. According to The Athletic, federation executives are already eyeing former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola as their top choice to take over, with Under-23 coach Steve Cherundolo also among the candidates.

It is a strange position for American soccer. Four months ago, Pochettino was the man who had just delivered a record-breaking home World Cup. Now he is the man Manchester United want, and the federation that extended his contract through 2030 in August may be about to cash in on it instead.

What Happens Next

United's next game is the trip to Anfield on Sunday, November 22. Reports suggest Pochettino could be in place before then, with most of the squad due back at the club by next Thursday. Whoever takes over will be expected to be backed in the January transfer window, with the club planning to be active at the start of 2027.

For now, the only certainty is the departure. A club legend leaves with his team in the relegation zone, and the man expected to replace him is still, officially, the head coach of the United States. The next 24 hours should settle it — and both Old Trafford and American soccer will be watching.

Photo: Mauricio Pochettino with the U.S. men's national team in March 2026. (Bryan Berlin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)