Manchester United sack Carrick after one win in 10 leaves them in the relegation zone

Manchester United have sacked Michael Carrick after a Premier League campaign that has produced just one win in 10 games and left the club sitting in the relegation zone, the club confirmed on Monday.

The final straw came after a chaotic 4-4 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday, in which Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu scored in stoppage time to salvage a point. That result extended a run of just three wins in 15 games across all competitions, a sequence that made Carrick’s position untenable despite a Champions League victory over Roma — where United recovered from 2-0 down — sandwiched in between.

Carrick had been under mounting pressure following back-to-back league defeats to Como and Bournemouth, and was widely understood to have been given three games to demonstrate a turnaround. A loss to Chelsea, the Roma win, and the Villa draw produced eight goals conceded across those three fixtures, and the defensive frailties that had defined the campaign remained unresolved.

The dismissal makes United’s managerial situation increasingly turbulent. Carrick is the third permanent manager to leave the club in 2026 and the fourth of the Ineos era, following Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim before him.

The 45-year-old had only signed a two-year contract in May after an impressive caretaker stint in which he won 12 and drew three of 17 games, guiding United back into the Champions League. That form was enough to earn him the permanent role, but an underwhelming summer transfer window left him short of depth in key positions, and the squad never found consistency once the competitive season began.

Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is reported to be in line to take charge as United search for their third permanent manager of the calendar year.