Manchester United have sacked head coach Michael Carrick following a run of three wins in 15 matches, while the club reaches an agreement in principle to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as his successor.
The decision comes amid intense criticism of the club’s leadership regarding their handling of the departing manager.
The dismissal of the club legend marks a volatile period at Old Trafford, as executives reportedly pursued Pochettino while Carrick continued to lead training sessions in Manchester. This perceived lack of professional courtesy has drawn sharp condemnation from former United defender Gary Neville, who characterized the club’s conduct as “disgusting.”
The fallout from the decision highlights a widening rift between the club’s executive suite and its footballing operations. While Carrick managed to secure Champions League qualification last season by winning 12 of his 17 games, the current campaign’s collapse has left the team in the relegation zone, Sky Sports reported.
Neville suggested that the club’s leadership failed to show respect to a player who represented the institution with distinction. He noted the optics of senior executives meeting in Monaco while the coaching staff remained in Manchester to manage daily operations.
“It’s just quite simply disgusting. That falls well below the standard of what you would expect in any other business, in any other industry. It would be constructive dismissal and you’d be getting sued,” said Gary Neville.
The tactical instability at United is compounded by a squad that has seen £1.6 billion spent on players without achieving sustained competitive results.
| Managerial Era | Key Context/Outcome |
|---|---|
| Post-Ferguson (2013–Present) | Eight managers appointed; £1.6bn spent |
| Michael Carrick | 12 wins in 17 games (last season); 3 wins in 15 (current) |
| Mauricio Pochettino | Pending appointment; agreement in principle reached |
Beyond the immediate managerial change, the structural issues within the recruitment department remain a primary concern. Neville emphasized that Pochettino must secure absolute control over transfers to avoid the pitfalls faced by previous appointments like Erik ten Hag or Ruben Amorim.
The Argentine coach, who is currently in talks with the US Soccer Federation at the paperwork and regulatory processes stage, inherits a squad signed in the summer whose midfield players were not wanted by Tottenham, Manchester City and others. Frequent injuries to core players like Luke Shaw, Matthijs de Ligt, and Lisandro Martínez have forced the club into defensive reshuffles that have failed to yield stability.
Neville recalled Pochettino’s early tenure at Tottenham, noting the manager’s ability to ruthlessly categorize players into those to be built around and those to be sold. He warned the incoming coach that the club’s historical inability to exit underperforming players could undermine his project.
“He’s got to identify that very quickly at United and I’m sure he will do that. He’s more experienced now than he was at Tottenham. But he’s got a big job to do in exiting players,” said Gary Neville.
The transition to Pochettino will require immediate investment, particularly in the defensive and midfield departments. Failure to address the department of midfield players that Neville noted were ultimately players not wanted by Tottenham, by Manchester City and others could result in a repeat of the recent decline.
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