Man Utd Sack Michael Carrick, Pochettino to Take Over
Manchester United have sacked head coach Michael Carrick with immediate effect after the club’s worst-ever start to a Premier League season, with United States boss Mauricio Pochettino set to replace him. The club confirmed the decision in a statement on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
United sit 18th in the Premier League table, inside the relegation zone, with only eight points from 10 matches and just one league win all season. Carrick departs less than six months after signing a two-year contract as permanent head coach.
The results that cost Carrick his job
The final straw was Sunday’s dramatic 4-4 draw at home to Aston Villa, when United fell 2-0 down inside four minutes and 4-2 down early in the second half before mounting a last-gasp comeback. The result left the club with one win in 10 league games and an eight-match winless run in the Premier League.
“Manchester United can confirm that Michael Carrick has departed his role as men’s first-team head coach,” the club said in a statement on Thursday morning, shortly after Carrick left the training ground. “The club intends to appoint a permanent successor as quickly as possible.”
Reports say Carrick’s future was decided at a meeting in Monaco on Wednesday involving co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox.
Pochettino set to become eighth post-Ferguson boss
United have an agreement in place with Pochettino, the current head coach of the United States men’s national team, and he is expected to become the club’s eighth permanent appointment since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Sky Sports reported that United reached a verbal agreement in principle with the Argentine on Wednesday. Pochettino has a release clause of around £7.4 million in his newly signed contract with the United States, which runs through the 2030 World Cup. Talks with the United States Soccer Federation are expected to gather pace in the coming days.
As things stand, Pochettino is likely to remain in charge of the USA for their Nations League matches against Haiti on Saturday and Wednesday before starting work at Old Trafford next Thursday. His first match in charge is expected to be the trip to bitter rivals Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, November 22, after the international break.
Pochettino brings extensive Premier League experience, having previously managed Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, as well as Paris Saint-Germain. He signed a contract extension to remain with the United States only three months ago, after leading them to the World Cup round of 16.
From interim rescue to relegation zone
Carrick was initially appointed as United boss in January 2026 on a contract until the end of the season, following the sacking of Ruben Amorim. He guided the team to a third-place Premier League finish, winning 12 of the remaining 17 games and earning Champions League qualification, and was handed the full-time role in May 2026.
But the new season collapsed quickly. United have won only three of their 15 matches in all competitions under Carrick this season, and their position after 10 league games is their lowest at this stage since the 1986-87 season. The club now faces a fight to climb out of the relegation zone, with the Liverpool trip first up after the break.
For the match that sealed Carrick’s fate, see our report: Man Utd 4-4 Aston Villa: Dorgu’s 96th-minute rescue. For the wider Premier League picture, see: Premier League: Liverpool win, Chelsea beaten.
Source: Sky Sports, BBC, Dawn, Channel News Asia, The Hindu Sportstar — 12 November 2026.