Anger outside Old Trafford as United sack Carrick after worst start in 40 years

Manchester United have dismissed head coach Michael Carrick following the club’s worst start to a Premier League season in 40 years, with the Reds stranded in the relegation zone after collecting just eight points from their opening 10 league games.

Carrick’s departure was confirmed on Thursday after days of speculation, ending a tenure of only 10 months — five of which came after he was handed the role permanently, having initially stepped in on an interim basis.

In a statement, the club said they had reached the “extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve their ambitions”, while also describing Carrick as someone who “is, and always will be, a Manchester United legend” who “conducted himself with the highest standards of dedication and professionalism”.

Despite the warm send-off, supporters gathered outside Old Trafford made little effort to conceal their frustration — directed not at Carrick, but at the club’s handling of his tenure.

Mandy Bradford, from Wythenshawe, was unequivocal in her criticism. “I think it’s absolutely disgraceful. Given what he did last year, the way they have treated him this year is diabolical,” she said. “What’s the next manager going to do? All the money they’ve spent. Give him a chance. The sacking of the manager isn’t going to improve anything.”

David Johnson, 38, who originally hails from Telford but now lives in Manchester, called Carrick’s exit the “worst kept secret” in football and accused the club of showing “massive disrespect”. While he acknowledged the results made a change hard to argue against — “you can’t win one game in 10 in the Premier League” — he added that given Carrick’s achievements the previous season and his status as a club legend, the manner of his dismissal felt unjust.

Scepticism was also directed at the man widely reported to be Carrick’s successor. United are said to have reached a verbal agreement with Mauricio Pochettino, the Argentine who previously managed Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, and have reportedly contacted the United States Football Association to discuss compensation following his role as USA national team head coach.

For many supporters outside the ground on Thursday, the managerial change felt less like a solution and more like another chapter in a prolonged period of instability — one that no amount of warm words in a club statement could easily paper over.