Manchester United are expected to sack Michael Carrick during the international break, according to multiple reports, with Mauricio Pochettino emerging as the leading candidate to take over at Old Trafford.
The Athletic reports that the expectation inside the club is that Carrick will lose his job in a matter of hours or days, despite United insisting no decision has been made yet, according to LiveScore’s summary of the reporting. Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox are expected to recommend Carrick’s dismissal when they meet owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe on Tuesday.
Fabrizio Romano, reporting on his YouTube channel, described Carrick as “really, really close” to dismissal, and said United’s directors have begun contacting other managers, with Pochettino at the top of the list. The BBC reports that Pochettino would be open to a move to Manchester United.
A season in freefall
United sit 18th in the Premier League after Sunday’s dramatic 4-4 draw with Aston Villa, having won just one of their opening 10 league games and gone eight league matches without a win. It is the first time they have been in the relegation zone this deep into a season for 40 years.
The draw at Old Trafford papered over nothing. United twice trailed by two goals and needed stoppage-time strikes from Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu to rescue a point. The result extended their winless run and left Carrick’s position, in the words of one report, untenable.
Pochettino’s odds to become the next United manager have shortened dramatically, from 33/1 to 5/2 since Sunday evening, according to Football Paparazzi. The Argentine is currently coach of the United States men’s national team, under contract until July 2030, but that deal is reported to include a release clause.
What comes next
Carrick is still expected to oversee Tuesday’s training session, but the decision is expected to be communicated within hours or days. United’s next league game is at Liverpool on Sunday 22 November — and, on the current reporting, Carrick will not be on the touchline at Anfield. No sacking has been confirmed by the club — this is reporting from The Athletic, Romano and the BBC, not an announcement.
Sources: LiveScore (Nov 10, 2026); Football Paparazzi (Nov 10, 2026); BBC Sport via LiveScore (Nov 10, 2026).
