Man Utd Set to Fire Michael Carrick After Relegation Zone Humiliation—Report

Bombshell news dropped on Monday evening, as it was reported that Manchester United will likely fire Michael Carrick before club action resumes after the November international break.

According to The Athletic, the expectation is that Carrick is out of a job in a matter of hours or days, despite Man United insisting that a decision hasn’t been made yet.

After consecutive dismal defeats against Como and Bournemouth, it was revealed that United had decided to give Carrick until the international break to save his job. United fell away at Chelsea and then a cardiac Champions League comeback win against Roma was followed by an even more spectacular comeback effort to secure a dramatic 4–4 draw against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Despite the massive effort to rescue a point against Villa, United extended their winless run in the Premier League to eight games and dropped to 18th place in the standings. The Red Devils are in the relegation zone for the first time in 40 years (when at least nine matches into the season) entering the last international break of 2026.

A final decision on Carrick’s future will be made by owners Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family, but according to TalkSport, United chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox are expected to “recommend” Carrick’s firing when they reportedly meet with Ratcliffe on Tuesday.

Not even the unwavering support of United supporters appears to have helped Carrick avoid the axe. With just three wins though 15 games in all competitions this season, results ultimately seem to have condemned the former midfielder.

If the reports are true and United fire Carrick, he’d become the fourth permanent manager the Red Devils dispose of since the start of the decade.

Exactly two years ago, United unveiled Carrick’s predecessor Ruben Amorim as the club’s new manager following Erik ten Hag’s dismissal.

Carrick inherited the job as an interim in January after Amorim’s tenure lasted only 14 months. After a brilliant second half of the 2025–26 Premier League season that saw the Red Devils secure their return to the Champions League, the interim tag was removed from Carrick’s job title. But three months into his first season as United’s permanent manager, Carrick has seemingly been unable to escape the fate of his predecessors.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Ten Hag, Amorim and Carrick have been unable to lead United back to the summit of English soccer since the turn of the decade. If Carrick does get fired, he’ll become the seventh permanent manager of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era that fails to deliver a Premier League title back to Old Trafford.

According to multiple reports, U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino is the leading candidate to take over from Carrick on the red side of Manchester.

Carrick’s precarious situation over the past month led to a number of candidates getting linked with United’s managerial job, but Pochettino’s name often never find its way to any lists. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the Argentine boss emerged as the favorite to replace Carrick.

Pochettino signed a fresh four-year deal after the 2026 World Cup to remain at the USMNT’s helm for the 2030 World Cup cycle. However, a release clause was included on the contract and talkSport indicate it wouldn’t represent a major hurdle for the Red Devils to trigger the clause and poach him.

The former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea boss hasn’t hidden his desire of one day returning to the Premier League, and he’s been linked with United in the past. Pochettino is currently preparing for the USMNT’s Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals tie against Haiti, but with the managerial role at United potentially vacant, the Argentine could leave his current job only four games into his new contract.

Former Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe and former Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann are deemed as two other names in contention to replace Carrick.

Regardless of who the Red Devils pick, it’s looking increasingly likely that Carrick won’t be on the touchline when United visit Liverpool on Nov. 22 in their first game back following the international break.