Carrick sacked as Man Utd confirm four staff exits with INEOS facing £5m compensation bill

Manchester United have sacked manager Michael Carrick and confirmed the simultaneous departures of three key backroom staff members, with INEOS facing a compensation bill of at least £5 million to clear out the current coaching setup at Old Trafford.

The club issued a formal statement on Thursday confirming Carrick’s dismissal following a disastrous start to the Premier League season. United have managed just one victory in ten league matches, leaving them stranded in the relegation zone. Alongside Carrick, assistant Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate, and Jonny Evans have all been told they are leaving the club.

The financial toll of the managerial overhaul is substantial. The £5 million figure covers compensation for Carrick and his departing staff, but that sum is expected to grow significantly. United are closing in on Mauricio Pochettino as their next permanent manager, and buying the Argentine out of his contract as head coach of the United States national team will cost a further £7.5 million, with additional fees anticipated to bring in his preferred coaching staff.

The decision to sack Carrick was finalised during a meeting in Monaco involving INEOS owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chief executive Omar Berrada, and sporting director Jason Wilcox. Formal contact with the US Soccer Federation was required to activate Pochettino’s release clause, given that he remains under contract with the national team.

Despite the poor results on the pitch, the club’s supporters have largely focused their frustration on the ownership rather than Carrick himself. The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust issued a statement attributing the club’s prolonged decline to the debt burden left by the Glazers’ leveraged takeover and what they described as unfulfilled sporting promises from the INEOS regime.

Pochettino, if confirmed, will face an immediate challenge once the international break concludes. His expected first fixture is an away trip to Liverpool, followed closely by a Champions League group-stage match against Sporting CP — a punishing opening run for any incoming manager.