Manchester United dismiss Michael Carrick as Mauricio Pochettino waits to take over

Manchester United have sacked manager Michael Carrick after a run of poor results left the club 18th in the Premier League, following last weekend’s 4-4 draw with Aston Villa at Old Trafford.

United have won only three of their 15 matches in all competitions under Carrick this season, with just one of those victories coming in the league. They have collected eight points from 10 games and are one point above the bottom of the table.

“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,” Manchester United said in a statement.

Pressure on Carrick had intensified after a 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth. The former United midfielder appeared to be nearing the end of his tenure as supporters chanted his name but booed the players from the pitch.

Carrick had left captain Bruno Fernandes on the bench against Bournemouth and did not introduce him, even as United searched for a spark in midfield. He was given another opportunity to change the team’s fortunes, however.

Fernandes returned to the starting line-up against Chelsea after what Carrick described as clear-the-air discussions, but United suffered another emphatic defeat, losing 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

A 3-2 Champions League comeback against AS Roma temporarily eased the pressure. United’s defensive problems were exposed again against Aston Villa, though, with two injury-time goals helping them rescue a point in an eight-goal thriller.

Carrick initially took charge on an interim basis after Ruben Amorim was sacked in January. He was later awarded a contract running until 2028 after guiding United through a significant improvement in results.

United won 11 of their first 16 matches under Carrick, beating Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea during that sequence. Those results lifted the club to third in the Premier League and secured Champions League qualification.

The 45-year-old could not maintain that progress into the new campaign. United’s only wins came against promoted Ipswich Town and Champions League debutants Sabah FK before a nine-match winless run began.

The club thanked Carrick for his professional conduct and said it was working to appoint a permanent successor as soon as possible. He is the latest manager to lose his job at Old Trafford after David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag and Amorim.

British media reports say Carrick is likely to be replaced by Mauricio Pochettino, who has agreed to become United’s next manager. The former Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea boss is currently coach of the US men’s national team.

Pochettino is expected to remain with the United States for their upcoming Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal matches, leaving him little time to prepare for his first game in English football’s most demanding jobs.

United have not won the English league title since claiming their 20th championship in 2013, when Alex Ferguson left after a trophy-laden 27-year spell in charge.

Their first match after the international break is a daunting trip to Anfield to face rivals Liverpool.