Michael Carrick’s position as Manchester United head coach is under increasing threat, although no final decision has been made. Mauricio Pochettino would be open to talks with United if the club approached him, and it is thought the cost of buying him out of his contract as USA head coach would 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. They will discuss the findings of their season review and give their recommendations on Carrick’s future, while also weighing up their options.
It is understood that no final decision has yet been taken on Carrick’s future at Old Trafford.
Pochettino open to a move
Pochettino recently extended his contract with the USA until 2030 and is preparing to face Haiti in the Nations League quarter-finals. The former Argentina defender would be open to a discussion with United, and it is thought the buyout cost would be around £7m. United have held discussions with Pochettino on at least two previous occasions about the Old Trafford job.
Carrick arrived at the club’s Carrington training ground on Tuesday morning as United carried out a full review of the team’s performance so far this season, led by Wilcox.
Pressure builds after another poor run
Carrick was given a reprieve after the 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth a fortnight ago, with the club’s bosses keen to give him three more matches to turn the team’s fortunes around. However, the pressure has continued to mount after United’s eighth straight Premier League match without a win. There are now real doubts about whether Carrick will be in charge when United travel to Anfield to face Liverpool the weekend after next.
The United hierarchy is determined that results must improve, but it wants to be sure of the right direction before taking any action. If it does decide to remove Carrick, it wants to avoid appointing an interim head coach. No substantive talks have yet taken place with other potential candidates.
The club’s 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 most of the squad is away on international duty, with no first-team training planned in the coming days. That has given the club some breathing space for a full re-evaluation.
The statistics make grim reading. United have won one of their last 11 games, have conceded 30 goals in all competitions, have the worst record of any team in the top five European leagues, and have endured their worst-ever start to a Premier League season. Those problems have outweighed the positives of the comebacks in the last two matches.
The United hierarchy feels Carrick over-achieved last season, when a third-placed Premier League finish earned Champions League football. However, the bosses are also adamant that the current group of players has woefully under-achieved so far this season.
Three reasons for the delay
There are three key reasons why United are not rushing a decision, and each has given Carrick an extended stay of execution.
First, the supporters are not calling for him to be sacked. Such is the affection for a legendary player who won 11 major trophies with United, including the Champions League and five Premier League titles, that this is unlikely to happen. The pressure from the stands that clubs often face 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, United produced a Champions League win against Roma and a draw against 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, 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.”