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, although no final decision has been made.
Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox are due to meet minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco on Wednesday. They will discuss the findings of their season review and give their recommendations on Carrick’s future while they assess their options.
It is understood that no final decision has yet been taken on Carrick’s Old Trafford future.
Pochettino is open to talks with United, but buying him out of his contract as USA head coach is thought to cost around £7m. The 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 Pochettino about the job on at least two previous occasions.
Review underway at Carrington
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.
Carrick was given a reprieve after the 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth a fortnight ago, when the club’s bosses agreed to give him three more matches to turn the team’s fortunes around. However, the pressure has kept mounting. United have now gone eight straight Premier League matches without a win, and there are real doubts about whether Carrick will still be in charge when the team travels to Anfield to play Liverpool the weekend after next.
The club’s hierarchy is determined that results must improve, but it wants to be certain about the right direction before acting. If they decide to remove Carrick, they want to avoid appointing an interim head coach. So far, there have been no substantive talks with other potential candidates.
The hierarchy plans to use the international break to fully evaluate the season and reassess its options. Carrick and the players had Monday off after rescuing a late point against Villa on Sunday, and the head coach and his staff returned to Carrington on Tuesday. 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 numbers make the case against Carrick hard to ignore. United have won just one of their last 11 games and have conceded 30 goals in all competitions, the worst record of any team in the top five European leagues. They have also endured their worst-ever start to a Premier League season. The comebacks in the last two matches have not outweighed those problems.
Why the decision is not being rushed
The United hierarchy is thought to feel Carrick over-achieved last season, when a third-place league finish earned Champions League football. However, the bosses are adamant that the current squad has significantly under-achieved so far this season.
There are three main reasons why United are not rushing a decision, and all three 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 fanbase’s affection for 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 materialized at Old Trafford.
Second, the boardroom believes Carrick and his coaching staff still have the support of the players. Despite the chaotic nature of the last two games, United produced a Champions League win against Roma and a draw against a strong Villa side, with notable comebacks in both. The assessment is that the players have not downed tools and are still fighting for Carrick.
Third, United’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 if a vacancy arises.
“It doesn’t matter who’s in charge”
Chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol said: “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.”