Manchester United Sack Michael Carrick After One Win in 10 League Games

Manchester United have sacked head coach Michael Carrick on Thursday 12 November 2026, ending a reign that began with a remarkable revival last season and collapsed into the club’s worst start to a top-flight campaign in 40 years. The 45-year-old departs with United 18th in the Premier League, one win from 10 league matches, and the club’s hierarchy promising to appoint a permanent successor as quickly as possible.

The decision was confirmed in a short club statement on Thursday morning. “Manchester United can confirm that Michael Carrick has departed his role as men’s first-team head coach,” the club said, adding that “after a disappointing start to the season, the club has come to the extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve our ambitions.”

Michael Carrick Sacked: United’s Worst Start in 40 Years

The numbers behind Michael Carrick’s dismissal make grim reading for a club that has won the English title 20 times. United have taken eight points from their opening 10 Premier League matches, winning once, drawing five times and losing four. Their solitary league victory came against Ipswich Town in late August, and they briefly dropped to the bottom of the table before results elsewhere lifted them back to 18th, a single point above bottom club Crystal Palace.

Across all competitions this season, United have won only three times in 15 matches. They were knocked out of the League Cup in the third round and have made an unconvincing start to their Champions League campaign, with two wins and two defeats. The run stands in stark contrast to the final months of last season, when the same squad surged up the table under Carrick.

From Third Place to the Relegation Zone: Carrick’s Two Spells in Charge

Michael Carrick rejoined the club in January 2026, taking over from the sacked Ruben Amorim with United seventh in the table. What followed was one of the great turnarounds in recent Premier League history. He guided the team to a third-place finish by winning 12 of the remaining 17 games of the 2025-26 season, accumulating the highest points tally in the league during that period and securing Champions League qualification.

That form earned him the job on a permanent basis in the summer, with a contract running until 2028. But the revival did not survive into the new campaign. His final match in charge, the dramatic 4-4 draw with Aston Villa at Old Trafford, summed up the season: United twice fought back from two goals down, only for a stoppage-time equaliser to rescue a point that still left them in the relegation zone, while furious home fans voiced their anger towards the club’s ownership.

Despite the manner of his exit, the club’s statement was warm. “Michael is, and always will be, a Manchester United legend,” it said, adding that he had “conducted himself with the highest standards of dedication and professionalism throughout his time back with the club” and that his leadership last season “will always be fondly remembered.”

Pochettino in Pole Position — and the $10 Million Question

Mauricio Pochettino has already emerged as the leading candidate to succeed Michael Carrick, and the expectation in British media is that the United States men’s national team coach will be in the away dugout at Anfield when United face Liverpool on Sunday 22 November. The 54-year-old Argentine has previously managed Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea in England and Europe.

United moved before the announcement to smooth his path. The club contacted U.S. Soccer the day before dismissing Carrick to discuss Pochettino’s $10 million release clause, and reports on Thursday suggested he had already agreed in principle to take the job. If appointed, he would become the eighth permanent manager at Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in May 2013 — and Carrick is the seventh to be sacked in that period, and the third since Sir Jim Ratcliffe came on board in 2024.

Other names linked with the vacancy include Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe, former Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann and former Chelsea coach Antonio Conte. But Pochettino has overtaken them all as favourite, and a managerial change is expected to be completed during this international break.

Supporters’ Trust Turns Its Fire on the Owners

The reaction to Michael Carrick’s sacking has not been confined to the dugout. The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust criticised the club’s ownership within hours of the announcement, calling on those in charge to take responsibility for the team’s problems. The Glazer family, which still owns a majority of the club, has faced sustained criticism from supporters throughout a decade of decline since Ferguson’s retirement.

That anger was audible at Old Trafford on Sunday, when fans turned on the ownership during the Villa draw. The Trust’s intervention underlines a wider truth about this sacking: changing the head coach is the easy part. United have now dismissed seven permanent managers in 13 years, and the next appointment will be judged not only on results but on whether the structure above him finally holds.

What Comes Next: Liverpool at Anfield on 22 November

Whoever takes charge will have no gentle introduction. United travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday 22 November, their first match after the international break, with the new manager expected to be in place by then. A defeat there would deepen a crisis that has already left a 13-time Premier League champion in the relegation zone in November.

For Michael Carrick, the exit closes a chapter that began in promise and ended in the club’s worst start in four decades. He arrived as a caretaker, delivered a third-place finish that few thought possible, and earned a permanent contract. In the end, one win in 10 league games made his position impossible — and United must now hope the eighth permanent appointment of the post-Ferguson era finally sticks.

Michael Carrick at Manchester United — Key Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was Michael Carrick sacked?

Manchester United sacked Michael Carrick after one win in 10 Premier League matches left the club 18th in the table. The club said that “after a disappointing start to the season” it had reached “the extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve our ambitions.” United have won only three of 15 matches in all competitions this season.

Who will replace Michael Carrick at Manchester United?

Mauricio Pochettino is the leading candidate. The United States men’s national team coach is widely expected to take over, with United having contacted U.S. Soccer about his $10 million release clause the day before Carrick’s dismissal. He could be in charge for the trip to Liverpool on 22 November.

How long was Michael Carrick in charge of Manchester United?

Michael Carrick took over as interim head coach in January 2026, replacing Ruben Amorim, and was made permanent in the summer of 2026 on a contract running until 2028. He was sacked on 12 November 2026, after guiding United to a third-place finish last season.

Where are Manchester United in the Premier League table?

United are 18th in the Premier League after 10 matches, with eight points from one win, five draws and four defeats. They sit one point above bottom club Crystal Palace and 10 points shy of the top four.

When is Manchester United’s next match?

United travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday 22 November 2026, after the international break. The new manager is expected to be in the dugout for that game.

Myth-busting: It is a myth that Michael Carrick was sacked over a single bad result. The 4-4 draw with Aston Villa was his last match, but the decision followed a season-long collapse — one league win in 10 games, three wins in 15 in all competitions, and a League Cup exit — after a third-place finish the season before.