Michael Carrick sacked as Manchester United head coach as turmoil deepens

Manchester United's head coach Michael Carrick waves to supporters after his team lost the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Bournemouth in Manchester, England, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo)

Michael Carrick has been sacked as Manchester United head coach, bringing an end to his 10-month spell in charge of the club, The Telegraph reported.

The 45-year-old's departure comes after several days of uncertainty over his future, with United already working on appointing Mauricio Pochettino as his replacement.

Carrick continued to take training on Tuesday and Wednesday before arriving at the club's Carrington training ground on Thursday morning, where he was finally informed of the decision.

The decision to sack Carrick was approved at a meeting in Monaco on Wednesday involving co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox.

However, it had become clear late on Monday that Carrick was set to leave. United spent the following days working on a deal to bring in Pochettino, the former Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager who is currently in charge of the United States national team.

Pochettino is set to take charge of a United side struggling in the Premier League and the Champions League. The club are third from bottom of the Premier League, one point behind 17th-placed Coventry, and sit 17th in the Champions League standings.

Carrick was appointed in May on a contract running until 2028 after a successful spell as interim manager. He had guided United to Champions League qualification, winning 12 and drawing three of his 17 matches last season.

However, he was unable to maintain that record in the current campaign. United have managed only three wins in all competitions this season, against Ipswich, Sabah and Roma at home.

They came back from two goals down to earn a late 4-4 draw against Aston Villa last Sunday. The team had also recovered to beat Roma, but the club's management decided that a change was necessary.

Carrick's departure adds to the uncertainty surrounding United, where disagreements between senior players and club officials have also come into focus.

Bruno Fernandes questioned Carrick's tactics following a 4-1 Champions League defeat against Como, while Martinez criticised Wilcox.

Since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club in 2013, United have appointed eight managers, including Ralf Rangnick, who served as interim manager for five months.

Carrick is the second United head coach to be sacked in the same calendar year. Ruben Amorim was dismissed in January, making this the first time in the club's history that two head coaches have been removed within one calendar year.