Manchester United fired head coach Michael Carrick on Thursday, November 12, 2026, after one win and eight points from 10 Premier League matches this season. The club sits in the Premier League relegation zone.
The club announced Carrick’s departure Thursday morning. He had reported for training Tuesday and Wednesday despite widespread speculation he would be dismissed — a period former United defender Gary Neville later called "clumsy" and "classless."
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Neville made those remarks on the Overlap podcast before the sacking was confirmed. He criticized club executives for delaying the decision while meeting in Monaco with director of football Jason Wilcox, chief executive Omar Berrada, and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Carrick was appointed permanent head coach in May 2026 on a contract through 2028, following interim duty since January. His tenure produced one league win in 10 matches.
Mauricio Pochettino is the reported front-runner to replace him. Neville said Pochettino prioritizes physical conditioning — noting the intensity of Tottenham’s Tuesday training sessions during Neville’s time with England — and added: "He does run his players, he does put physical fitness really at the top of the agenda."
Neville did not claim Pochettino built fit teams at Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea or the U.S. men’s national team. He described Tottenham’s regimen specifically and generalized only that “his teams” emphasized fitness — without attributing results or standards to clubs beyond Tottenham.
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