Carrick sacked by Manchester United after eight Premier League games without a win

Manchester United have sacked Michael Carrick as manager, with the club stranded in the Premier League relegation zone after 10 top-flight games and just one league win to their name this season.

A dramatic 4-4 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday — in which United twice fought back from two goals down — could not save Carrick’s position. He departs Old Trafford three months into the campaign, having failed to win any of his last eight Premier League matches.

The timing of the November international break, which leaves United without a game for two full weeks before a trip to Liverpool, prompted the club’s minority owners Ineos to finally act. It is the fourth permanent managerial change at the club in three years.

The dismissal marks a sharp reversal of fortune for Carrick, who exceeded expectations during his first interim spell last season after replacing Ruben Amorim in January. He steadied a faltering side and guided them to a third-place finish and Champions League qualification, earning him the full-time role as a result.

This season, however, results deteriorated quickly. Damaging defeats against Como and Bournemouth last month placed Carrick under serious pressure, and though he survived crisis talks with the United hierarchy and was given time to turn things around, Sunday’s chaotic draw proved the final straw. United did end a nine-game winless run across all competitions by coming from two goals down to beat Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday, but that result was not enough to preserve his job.

Mauricio Pochettino, the United States men’s national team head coach, is the overwhelming favourite to take charge at Old Trafford, having reportedly reached a verbal agreement with the club. United have made contact with US Soccer over compensation, with a reported figure of $10m (£7.4m) expected to release Pochettino from a contract that was due to run through to the 2030 World Cup. His current backroom staff are expected to follow him to Manchester, requiring further compensation payments.

Other candidates remain in the frame. Eddie Howe is available following his departure from Newcastle in the summer, while former Bayern Munich and Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann is also under consideration. Aston Villa’s Unai Emery and Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler are admired by the club, though both would command significant compensation fees.