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Manchester United’s English head coach Michael Carrick has been sacked. Photo / AFP
Michael Carrick has been sacked as Manchester United head coach.
The decision to remove the 45-year-old brings an end to an unedifying spectacle in which Carrick’s future was left hanging for days while United lined up Mauricio Pochettino as his successor.
Carrick was forced to take training on Tuesday and
Wednesday before arriving at United’s Carrington base again on Thursday morning when he was finally relieved of his duties after just 10 months in charge.
Omar Berrada, the United chief executive, and Jason Wilcox, the director of football, delivered the news in a meeting at Carrington. Carrick left the club’s training centre shortly after 10.15am.
In a club statement, United highlighted Carrick’s impressive performance as head coach last season, but said: “After a disappointing start to the season, the club has come to the extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve our ambitions.
“Michael is, and always will be, a Manchester United legend. Just as he did as a player, he has conducted himself with the highest standards of dedication and professionalism throughout his time back with the club. His leadership and achievements last season will always be fondly remembered.
“The club intends to appoint a permanent successor as quickly as possible.”
Carrick’s dismissal was rubber-stamped following a meeting in Monaco on Wednesday involving co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Berrada and Wilcox.
However, it had been clear since late on Monday that Carrick was on his way out and the subsequent period was spent working on efforts to line up Pochettino, the United States coach, as his replacement. Pochettino – the Argentine former manager of Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris St-Germain – will take over a team mired in the relegation zone.
Berrada was pictured arriving at Carrington through the back entrance not long after Carrick had arrived on Thursday morning. Peter Schmeichel, the legendary United goalkeeper, claimed Carrick’s treatment was “very disrespectful to him”.
Sources said there was frustration over the delay in dismissing Carrick, with Berrada and Wilcox understood to have concluded on Monday that a change was necessary. The news then leaked.
With Carrick dismissed, United are expected to move to trigger the exit clause in Pochettino’s contract, which is understood to be about $10m (£7.4m).
Carrick had been given a stay of execution on October 26 following the shambolic defeats by Como and Bournemouth that left his position in serious jeopardy. The Old Trafford hierarchy resolved to give Carrick until the current international break to see whether he could turn things around before reviewing the situation again. Behind the scenes, work on potential replacements gathered pace and United have now formally parted company with the club’s former midfielder.
Sunday’s wild 4-4 draw at home with Aston Villa, when United were forced to come from 2-0 and 4-2 down, left the team languishing in 18th position, a point from safety, and with only one Premier League win this season.
It followed a 2-0 defeat at Chelsea and a 3-2 victory over Roma, when United were forced to come from behind after conceding twice in the first 17 minutes.
United, who have won just three of 15 matches in all competitions, face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday week in their first game after the international break.
Carrick took the job 10 months ago after replacing Ruben Amorim in January, meaning United are set to appoint their third manager this year.
It is the first time in the club’s 148-year history that United have sacked two managers in a calendar year and it comes at a time when the club’s co-owners, Ratcliffe and the Glazer family, football executives and players are under fierce attack from supporters.
Carrick replaced Amorim initially on an interim basis, before being awarded a new two-year contract in May to continue as permanent head coach after guiding the club to a third-placed finish in the Premier League and back into the Champions League.
United felt Carrick would help stabilise the club and consolidate their position in the Champions League. But the team’s form has nosedived this season following an underwhelming summer in the transfer market. The 5-2 win over Ipswich Town on August 30 remains their only league win this season.
– Daily Telegraph UK
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