Michael Carrick Sacked by Manchester United: Pochettino Set to Take Over After Worst Start in 40 Years

Michael Carrick sacked by Manchester United after the club's worst start to a Premier League season. United confirmed the decision on Thursday, November 12, 2026, with the team sitting 18th in the table and in the relegation zone after winning just one of their first 10 league matches. Mauricio Pochettino, the current United States head coach, is widely expected to replace him, with reports saying a verbal agreement is already in place. Here is what we know about the sacking, why it happened, and what comes next.

Michael Carrick Sacked: What Manchester United Announced

Manchester United announced Carrick's departure in a short statement on Thursday morning, shortly after the 45-year-old had left the club's Carrington training ground. The statement read: "Manchester United can confirm that Michael Carrick has departed his role as men's first-team head coach. 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. The club intends to appoint a permanent successor as quickly as possible."

Why Manchester United Sacked Carrick

The numbers behind the decision are stark. United have won just one of their first 10 Premier League matches this season, their worst-ever start to a Premier League campaign and their worst start to a top-flight season in 40 years. The final match of Carrick's reign summed up the chaos: a 4-4 draw with Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday, November 8, in which United fell 2-0 behind inside four minutes and 4-2 down early in the second half before fighting back to draw. It was the first time any team had recovered from two goals behind twice in one Premier League match, but the point still left United 18th in the 20-team table and in the relegation zone for the international break.

The collapse is all the more dramatic because of how well Carrick's first spell went. Appointed caretaker on January 13, 2026, after Ruben Amorim was sacked, he won his first Manchester derby 2-0 four days into the job and guided United from mid-table to third place, winning 12 of the remaining 17 games. That run earned him the permanent job on a two-year contract on May 22, 2026. Less than six months later, he is gone.

Mauricio Pochettino Set to Replace Carrick

Mauricio Pochettino is the man United want. The 54-year-old Argentine, currently head coach of the United States men's national team, is widely expected to be announced as Carrick's successor, with multiple outlets reporting that a verbal agreement is already in place. Pochettino would become the eighth permanent manager at Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in May 2013. He previously managed Southampton, Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, and took Spurs to the 2019 Champions League final.

The appointment will not come cheap. Pochettino signed a new contract as United States head coach in August 2026 that runs through the 2030 World Cup, and reports put the release clause in that deal at around $10 million. He is expected to stay with the United States for their Nations League matches against Haiti on Saturday and Wednesday before starting work at United next Thursday. That would put him in the dugout for his first match: a trip to Anfield to face fierce rivals Liverpool on November 22.

What Happens Next for Manchester United

• Talks between Manchester United and the United States Soccer Federation are expected to gather pace in the coming days to finalise Pochettino's release.
• Pochettino is set to remain in charge of the United States for their Nations League games against Haiti before starting work at Old Trafford next Thursday.
• United's next match is away at Liverpool on November 22, and Pochettino is expected to be in the dugout at Anfield for his first game in charge.
• The new manager inherits a squad in the relegation zone, with the January transfer window as the first chance to reshape it.

How to Keep Up With the Pochettino Appointment

1. Watch Manchester United's official channels for the announcement: the club said it intends to appoint a permanent successor as quickly as possible.
2. Follow the United States' Nations League matches against Haiti on Saturday and Wednesday, after which Pochettino is expected to leave the US job.
3. Check the Premier League table and fixtures: United sit 18th, and their next match is Liverpool away on November 22.
4. Look out for Pochettino's first press conference at Carrington, where he will set out his plans.

Michael Carrick Sacked: Frequently Asked Questions

Carrick's sacking ends a strange chapter: a club legend who rescued the season as caretaker, earned the job permanently, then lost it less than six months later after the worst start in 40 years. The focus now turns to Pochettino, who must lift a 20-time English champion out of the relegation zone, starting at Anfield on November 22.