Manchester United Set to Appoint Former Chelsea Coach After Sacking Michael Carrick
- Manchester United sacked Michael Carrick as head coach less than six months after he signed a two-year contract with the club
- United reached a verbal agreement with former Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino, who currently manages the United States national team
- The decision to remove Carrick was ratified at a Monaco summit involving minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe
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Manchester United have dismissed Michael Carrick as head coach following the club's worst-ever start to a Premier League season, with the Red Devils sitting in the relegation zone after managing just one win from their opening 10 matches.
The club confirmed the departure on Thursday morning, shortly after Carrick left the training ground, saying they had reached "the extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve our ambitions."
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Pochettino lined up as Carrick's successor
Man United have already reached a verbal agreement with Mauricio Pochettino, the Argentine coach currently in charge of the United States men's national team, to take over at Old Trafford, Sky Sports reports.
The club has signalled its intention to appoint a permanent successor "as quickly as possible."
Pochettino, who previously managed Chelsea in the English top flight, is understood to have a £7 million release clause in his recently signed contract with the United States Soccer Federation.
Talks between the two parties are expected to move quickly in the coming days.
The 52-year-old coach is likely to remain with the USA for their Nations League fixtures against Haiti this Saturday and the following Wednesday before beginning work at Old Trafford the Thursday after.
Contact has already been made with the United States Soccer Federation as Man United push to bring Pochettino back to English football.
What Pochettino inherits at Man United
The challenge awaiting Pochettino at Old Trafford is a significant one.
Man United have conceded 19 Premier League goals this season, three more than they had at the same stage last campaign, GOAL reports.
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Their defensive record has been a recurring concern, with the Aston Villa match once again highlighting the team's vulnerability at the back.
Carrick's departure also means changes to the wider coaching setup.
Jonny Evans and Jonathan Woodgate, both part of the backroom staff under the outgoing manager, are also expected to leave the club as the new regime takes shape.
How the decision to sack Carrick was made
The move to dismiss Carrick was confirmed at a summit in Monaco attended by minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who endorsed the recommendation put forward by chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox.
At that point, Carrick was still taking training in Manchester, having led the team through a turbulent week.
The final straw came after United's 4-4 draw at home to Aston Villa on Sunday, in which the team fell 2-0 down within the opening four minutes and later trailed 4-2 early in the second half before clawing back a draw.
Although the comeback showed some resilience, it mirrored a pattern that the club's hierarchy felt did not reflect meaningful progress.
A similar turnaround result against Roma in the Champions League the previous Tuesday also failed to persuade the board to give Carrick more time.
How much Man United paid to sack Carrick
Legit.ng previously reported about Carrick’s departure from Man United after a poor run left the club in the Premier League relegation zone.
Carrick and his backroom staff are reportedly set to receive £5 million in compensation.
Source: Legit.ng
