Carrick on the edge as Manchester United consider managerial change

The Mt Kenya Times

Football
10 November 2026

The Mt Kenya Times

With United rooted in the relegation zone and Liverpool looming on the horizon, Old Trafford’s hierarchy is running out of patience and time

By Andalo Christine Ingutia

Manchester United are reportedly preparing to part ways with head coach Michael Carrick following a deeply disappointing run of results that has left the club stranded in the Premier League relegation zone. According to an exclusive report by The Athletic, senior figures at Old Trafford have already begun searching for a replacement, even as the club maintains publicly that no final decision has been made.

The crisis deepened yesterday after United stumbled to a 4-4 draw against Aston Villa — a result that would have been unthinkable at a club of United’s stature just a few seasons ago. The draw intensified pressure on Carrick and sharpened concerns about the team’s direction at every level of the club. With a daunting trip to Anfield to face fierce rivals Liverpool scheduled for 22nd November, United’s leadership under INEOS is reportedly desperate to resolve the managerial question before the week is out.

Carrick was handed a temporary opportunity to steady the ship following a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth in October. The former United midfielder arrived with goodwill, name recognition and a clear emotional connection to the club. However, his failure to produce consistent results or install a coherent playing identity has apparently exhausted the patience of those above him. United have managed just one victory in Carrick’s opening ten Premier League matches — the club’s worst domestic start in 40 years, a statistic that has made the conversations in the boardroom impossible to avoid.

Despite flashes of promise in his early matches, Carrick has struggled to establish a recognisable system, shore up a leaky defence or project the kind of authority that managing one of the world’s biggest clubs demands. Questions about his readiness for the role have grown louder with each passing week.

Attention has now shifted firmly towards potential replacements. Mauricio Pochettino, the former Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea manager currently in charge of the United States national team, is believed to be the leading candidate. The Argentine is reportedly open to taking charge at Old Trafford, though his contractual obligations could complicate and delay any negotiations. Former Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is also attracting serious interest, while Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann is highly regarded by the club’s leadership and considered a credible long-term option.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox are understood to be overseeing the process as the club weighs its options with increasing urgency.

United’s current predicament has drawn uncomfortable comparisons to the 1973–74 season, when the club suffered relegation from the top flight in one of the darkest chapters in their history. The parallels are not lost on supporters, many of whom never imagined they would be watching their club battle at the wrong end of the table with such little sign of improvement.

The quality and financial resources available to United suggest they retain the capacity to escape their current situation. But resources alone have not saved them so far, and the table does not lie.

For Carrick, the coming days could prove decisive. The noises from within Old Trafford are growing louder, the fixture list is unforgiving and the margin for error has all but disappeared.

United need answers — and they need them before a difficult season becomes something far harder to explain.