Man Utd sack Carrick after one win in ten as Pochettino talks advance

Manchester United have parted ways with manager Michael Carrick during the international break, ending a tenure that produced just one Premier League victory in ten attempts. The decision was taken after the club’s board, led by Ineos, concluded that the squad at Carrick’s disposal was significantly more capable than their results had indicated.

Carrick had been under intense pressure following heavy defeats to Como and Bournemouth, and was given three matches to demonstrate a change in direction. A 2-0 loss at Stamford Bridge was followed by a 3-2 win over Roma and a 4-4 draw with Aston Villa — results the board deemed insufficient proof that the team was trending upward. One win from ten league outings was described internally as “not acceptable”.

The drawn-out nature of the dismissal raised eyebrows within the game. Carrick continued to oversee first-team training throughout the week while the club simultaneously pushed ahead with negotiations to bring in Mauricio Pochettino as his replacement. United maintained they followed “due process”, though the handling of the situation attracted criticism. Sources at the club praised Carrick for the professionalism he showed throughout.

Carrick, 45, was originally appointed on a caretaker basis in January to replace Ruben Amorim, who left with United sitting sixth in the table. He won his first two matches in charge — against Manchester City and Arsenal — before guiding the club to a third-place finish and Champions League qualification, earning a permanent two-year contract in the process.

United invested heavily in the summer, spending £150 million on midfield reinforcements including Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba, as well as goalkeeper Karl Darlow. However, the club chose not to strengthen other areas of the squad, a decision that has since been scrutinised as the season unravelled.

Carrick’s only wins this campaign came against newly promoted Ipswich, Sabah and Roma. United were also knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brighton after surrendering a two-goal lead at Old Trafford, and suffered a 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como before losing 3-0 to Bournemouth — results that ultimately sealed his fate.