Manchester United close to sacking Michael Carrick as three-man successor shortlist emerges

Manchester United are increasingly expected to part company with manager Michael Carrick after a poor run of results, with the club already considering potential replacements, according to The Athletic.

The club drew 4-4 with Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday in a dramatic Premier League match. Although United have stressed that no final decision has been made over Carrick’s future, several sources told The Athletic that work has begun on identifying candidates to succeed him.

There is a growing expectation within the club that a change could be made before United’s next match against Liverpool at Anfield, which is scheduled to take place in 13 days.

Former Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino, currently in charge of the United States national team, is among the leading contenders. Eddie Howe, the former Newcastle United manager, and former Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann are also understood to be admired by some figures at Old Trafford.

Any final decision on Carrick’s position would require approval from co-owner Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family, who hold the majority ownership of Manchester United.

Carrick’s position has been under increasing pressure for several weeks. United have won only one league match since the start of the season and have recorded three victories in all competitions.

The club initially opted to give Carrick and his players more time after a 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth last month, hoping they could turn their form around. However, United managed only one win in their next three matches, beating Roma in the UEFA Champions League, increasing the expectation that the 45-year-old could leave before the team’s next fixture.

Carrick was appointed Manchester United’s permanent manager in May on a two-year contract. He had impressed during a temporary spell in charge after replacing Ruben Amorim in January.

When Carrick took over, United were seventh in the Premier League. He helped transform their results, with the club collecting 39 points from the final 17 matches of last season to finish third and qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

No other Premier League side gained more points than Manchester United during the period following Carrick’s appointment last season. That run included notable victories over Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.

The team have been unable to reproduce that form this campaign. They won only one of their opening 10 Premier League matches and were eliminated from the English League Cup after losing to Brighton.

Manchester United are currently 18th in the Premier League, inside the relegation places.