Manchester United's leadership sidelines Carrick as Pochettino looms
Manchester United have again entered a coaching shuffle, with interim manager Michael Carrick effectively dismissed while owner Jim Ratcliffe’s board negotiate a deal for United States national team boss Mauricio Pochettino, a move that critics say disregards the club’s storied history.
Board handling and Pochettino talks
The management of Jim Ratcliffe disrespects a historic idol of the Red Devils and treats Michael Carrick as any coach, without identification with the club. Carrick knows a successor is already defined but was not informed directly.
He trained the squad – at least the players not called up for the FIFA date – on Tuesday (11) and will do so again on Wednesday (12), while CEO Omar Berrada and football director Jason Wilcox travel today to Monaco, where Ratcliffe lives, for meetings that will inevitably address the English coach’s future.
Manchester United have everything sorted with Mauricio Pochettino, yet have not communicated the departure to the current coach. The only missing piece is an agreement with the Federação de Futebol dos Estados Unidos, which the Argentine has said is progressing.
Cost‑cutting, layoffs and Ratcliffe remarks
Current results show only one win in ten Premier League rounds and the club sits in the relegation zone, a situation that does not justify Carrick’s marginalisation.
As a player, Michael Carrick spent twelve years at Manchester United between 2006 and 2018, making more than 400 appearances, winning five English titles, one Champions League and many other national and international trophies.
After retiring he returned to the technical staff of José Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, remaining until 2021. Neither the Glazer family nor Jim Ratcliffe appear to respect the club’s history.
Ratcliffe bought a 25 percent stake at the end of 2023 and took football control, initially seen as hope that quickly faded. Questionable signings continued while he introduced measures that undermined any sense of collectivity.
The club’s cost‑cutting, which does not involve players, led to two rounds of layoffs: about 250 staff in 2024 and between 150 and 200 in 2025.
Under the new football controller the club cut staff lunches, the Christmas party, funding for a charity helping former players, did not fund travel for some workers to last year’s Europa League final, raised ticket prices and ended Sir Alex Ferguson’s global ambassador contract.
Pochettino poised to take United job as Carrick's exit looms
Since mid‑2024 United has spent 669.3 million on signings.
Ratcliffe, who lives in Monaco, publicly claimed his country was being “colonised” by immigrants in February and later said the nation is in decline because of foreigners and social benefits to the poor.