Man Utd sack Carrick after worst start in 40 years as Pochettino agrees deal to rescue Red Devils

On the morning of 12 November 2026, a genuine earthquake shook the Carrington training ground as the Manchester United board officially sacked manager Michael Carrick. This ruthless decision was executed immediately after the Red Devils plummeted to 18th in the Premier League table with a mere eight points from 10 matches, marking the club's worst start to a campaign in 40 years.

The bitter departure of the tactician who guided the club to a top-three finish last season not only exposes the paradox in INEOS's sporting management but also highlights the sheer ruthlessness of elite football. Amid a storm of public criticism over the disrespectful treatment of a club servant, the board's swift agreement with Mauricio Pochettino is seen as an all-or-nothing gamble to salvage the sinking ship at Old Trafford.

Carrick's tragedy and the ruthlessness of Old Trafford

Sacking Michael Carrick was the inevitable consequence of a full-blown crisis, with Manchester United in freefall down to 18th in the Premier League with just eight points from 10 games. This worst start in 40 years has turned the English tactician—who was a hero after securing a third-place finish last term—into the seventh manager sacked in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, less than six months after signing a permanent contract.

The cruelty lies not just in the results, but in the heavily criticised conduct of the INEOS hierarchy. The board's decision to secretly reach an agreement with Mauricio Pochettino while still allowing Carrick to take training before announcing his dismissal exposes the cold, ruthless nature of the regime at Old Trafford.

The monumental challenge awaiting Mauricio Pochettino

To bring Mauricio Pochettino to Old Trafford, Manchester United quickly reached a verbal agreement with the Argentine tactician, while agreeing to pay a £7.5 million ($10 million) release clause to free him from his US Soccer contract. This heavy expenditure immediately thrusts the new manager into an incredibly rushed and demanding transition period.

Immediately after completing his duties with the US national team in the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-finals against Haiti on 14 and 17 November, Pochettino will fly straight to England to begin work at Carrington on 19 November. His task is made even more daunting as his debut match is a baptism of fire away to arch-rivals Liverpool at Anfield next week. This is a monumental challenge that will test the Argentine's mettle from his very first days in charge of the Manchester United salvage operation.

The Verdict

The swift decision to change horses mid-stream at Old Trafford once again exposes the urgency, yet sheer ruthlessness, of the INEOS hierarchy in their bid to rescue Manchester United. Cutting ties with Michael Carrick to pave the way for Mauricio Pochettino signals a fierce ambition to restructure, but it also places immense pressure on the incoming manager before he has even set foot in Carrington.

With the dressing room in disarray, Mauricio Pochettino's arrival is expected to inject fresh life and a clearer tactical identity. Whether the Argentine's pedigree is enough to revive a demoralised Manchester United squad, or if he will suffer the same fate as his predecessors, remains to be seen.