Michael Carrick’s position as Manchester United head coach is looking increasingly in doubt, and Mauricio Pochettino would be open to a discussion if the club approached him. It is understood that no final decision has yet been taken on Carrick’s future, and the cost of buying Pochettino out of his contract as USA head coach is thought to be around £7m.
Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox are due to meet minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco on Wednesday. The pair will discuss the findings of their season review and give their recommendations on Carrick, while also assessing the club’s options.
Carrick arrived at the training ground on Tuesday morning as the club carries out a full review of the team’s performance this season, led by Wilcox.
Pochettino, a former Argentina defender, recently extended his deal with the USA until 2030 and is preparing to face Haiti in the Nations League quarter-finals. United have held discussions with him on at least two previous occasions about the Old Trafford job.
Pressure mounts after another poor run
Carrick was given a reprieve after the 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth a fortnight ago, when the bosses wanted to give him three more matches to turn the team’s fortunes around. However, the pressure has continued to build after an eighth straight Premier League match without a win. There are now real doubts about whether he will still be in charge when the team travels to Anfield to face Liverpool the weekend after next.
The club’s hierarchy is determined that results must improve, but it wants to be certain about the direction to take before acting. If they do remove Carrick, they hope to avoid appointing an interim head coach. No substantive talks have yet taken place with other potential candidates.
The hierarchy plans to use the international break to evaluate the season fully and reassess its options. Carrick and the players had Monday off after rescuing a late point against Villa on Sunday. With most players away on international duty and no first-team training planned in the coming days, the club has gained some breathing space for a full re-evaluation.
The figures make grim reading. United have won only one of their last 11 games and have conceded 30 goals in all competitions. That is the worst record of any team in the top five European leagues, and the club has endured its worst-ever start to a Premier League season. Those problems have outweighed the positives of the comebacks in the last two matches.
Why the club is not rushing a decision
The United hierarchy feels Carrick over-achieved last season, when a third-placed league finish earned Champions League football. It is equally clear, however, that the bosses believe the current squad has woefully under-achieved this season.
There are three key reasons why United are not rushing a decision, and all of them have given Carrick an extended stay of execution.
First, the supporters are not calling for him to be sacked. That is unlikely to change, given the affection the fanbase holds for Carrick, a legendary player who won 11 major trophies with United, including the Champions League and five Premier League titles. The pressure to change the manager that clubs often face from the stands has not materialised at Old Trafford.
Second, there is a feeling in the boardroom that Carrick and his coaching staff still have the support of the players. Despite the chaotic nature of the last two games, the team beat Roma in the Champions League and drew with a good Villa side, with notable comebacks in both. The assessment is that the players have not downed tools and are still fighting for Carrick.
Third, the club’s bosses are not yet convinced that changing the head coach will solve the team’s problems. If they believed it would, they could already have moved to sack Carrick and appoint a candidate such as Julian Nagelsmann or Eddie Howe. Both are out of work, available, and thought to be keen to talk to United should a vacancy arise.
‘It doesn’t matter who’s in charge’
Chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol offered a stark assessment of the club’s situation:
“The club needs to become Manchester United again. They need to turn into a club who are capable of winning the title regularly, winning the European Cup again.
“It doesn’t matter who’s in charge, in my opinion. You could have Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp. But with the present ownership structure, I don’t think things are going to change.
“You could bring in another manager but you would just paper over the cracks. We’re talking about a club that used to rub shoulders with Barcelona and Real Madrid. If things carry on as they are at the moment, they’ll be rubbing shoulders with Lincoln and QPR.
“But I think most Man Utd fans think that unless you change the owners, nothing is going to change.”