Manchester United sack Michael Carrick as head coach, with the club in the Premier League relegation zone
Manchester United have confirmed that Michael Carrick has departed as men's first-team head coach. The club said that after a disappointing start to the season it had concluded a change was necessary, and that it intends to appoint a permanent successor as quickly as possible. United are 18th in the Premier League with eight points from 10 games, having won only one league match this season; Carrick's last game in charge was Sunday's 4–4 draw at home to Aston Villa. Carrick rejoined the club in January and guided it to third place last season before being appointed permanently in May.
Key points
- Manchester United's own statement confirms Michael Carrick has departed as men's first-team head coach.
- United are 18th in the Premier League with eight points from 10 games and one league win this season.
- Carrick rejoined in January, took United to third place, and was appointed permanently in May on a two-year deal.
Show more (1)
- No successor has been announced; reports link US coach Mauricio Pochettino with the job, unconfirmed by the club.
What happened
Carrick, a former United midfielder, took over in January with the club struggling and produced the league's best points tally over the rest of last season to finish third and qualify for the Champions League. This season the form reversed: one league win in 10, an eight-match winless run in the league, and Sunday's 4–4 draw with Aston Villa — a game United led before conceding a 96th-minute equaliser — left the club in the relegation zone. United's next match is away to Liverpool on 22 November.
What we know / what we don't know yet
What we know
- That Carrick has departed, on the club's own statement, and that the club intends to appoint a permanent successor as quickly as possible.
- United's record this season: 18th, eight points from 10 league games, one league win, three wins in 15 in all competitions.
What we don't know yet
- Who the successor will be — reports link Mauricio Pochettino, but neither Manchester United nor US Soccer has announced anything.
- Who will take charge of the team for the Liverpool match on 22 November if no appointment is made before it.
- The terms of Carrick's departure — the club's statement gives none.
Claim by claim
Show all claims (4)
Why this label: The departure and the club's reasons are the club's own statement, published on its own site and quoted in full by NBC Sports.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The league position, points and win counts agree across Reuters, TNT Sports and NBC Sports; the 4–4 Villa draw is the result Vozia reported on Sunday.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The third-place finish and the 12 wins in 17 games are stated in the club's own statement; the May permanent appointment on a two-year deal is reported by the Press Association.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The Pochettino reports rest on unnamed understandings and a reported verbal agreement; neither club nor US Soccer has confirmed an appointment, and the club's statement says only that a successor will be appointed as quickly as possible.
On the ladder: the evidence so far sits low — early, single or social sources. We publish the claim as a claim, never as fact.
Why it matters
Manchester United are one of the world's most followed clubs, and they sit in the Premier League relegation zone in November. Carrick is the seventh permanent head coach to leave the job since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, and the search for his successor — with the Liverpool match nine days away — is now the club's immediate problem.
Update history
No silent edits. Every change is written here, with its time.
- Latest
Published. Basis: Manchester United's own club statement, with Reuters, NBC Sports, TNT Sports and the Press Association in agreement.