Manchester United
How United’s Long Chase for Pochettino Has Finally Reached a Decisive Stage
United’s long pursuit of Pochettino has resurfaced, with another managerial change now under discussion.
Mauricio Pochettino appears closer than ever to taking over at Manchester United, with the club weighing up whether Michael Carrick could be removed this week. That decision has not yet been finalised, but the direction of travel is clear.
This is not a sudden courtship. United have been connected with Pochettino for well over a decade, first when they chose Louis van Gaal instead of the Argentine, who went on to join Tottenham Hotspur. Since then, the links have resurfaced repeatedly, including in 2016, 2018 and 2021, whenever the manager’s seat at Old Trafford became unsettled.
Yet on each of those occasions, Pochettino was tied to another job. He was at Tottenham and later at Paris Saint-Germain, which meant United never had an open lane to move for him. Even so, the club passed on him again more recently, twice in fact.
David Ornstein said on The Athletic FC podcast this week that Pochettino was in the “final two” in May 2022 before United appointed Erik ten Hag after his work at Ajax. By then, Pochettino was departing PSG after 18 months that brought three trophies but ended badly. United then moved away from him again in 2024.
That summer, Pochettino was available after leaving Chelsea by mutual consent at the end of a 2023-24 campaign marked by tension with the sporting hierarchy at Stamford Bridge. United were reviewing options after Ten Hag’s impact fell short of expectations, and Pochettino was among the candidates they spoke to before deciding to keep the Dutchman.
He soon took charge of U.S. Soccer, while Ruben Amorim, also considered that summer, later replaced Ten Hag after the dismissal.
“I did not hear the best feedback from how it went on that occasion,” Ornstein said. “I was told they were a little underwhelmed regarding his coaching, his hunger, his work rate. I don’t know all of the factors, but that sort of gist.
“Clearly, they didn’t think that highly of him because they ended up taking [Thomas] Tuchel and [Roberto] De Zerbi to the ‘last two,’ and ultimately gave Ten Hag a new contract.”
If that was the view then, it appears to have shifted now. United could have taken him in the summer of 2026, when he was briefly available after the World Cup, but instead promoted Carrick from interim to permanent manager following a strong finish to 2025-26.
There are still other options on the market, but United seem prepared to pay to free Pochettino and his staff from their U.S. Soccer contracts rather than turn to a free agent such as Antonio Conte or Julian Nagelsmann. Jason Wilcox, now sporting director, had only recently moved into the technical director role in spring 2024 and was impressed that Ten Hag accepted his tactical advice for the FA Cup final win over Manchester City. Results later changed the picture.
Pochettino, meanwhile, may also be in a different place after his Chelsea spell. If United do move for him, the structure around him and his remit would almost certainly need to be clear before any appointment is completed.
Manchester United
Manchester United sack Carrick after Villa draw deepens crisis
United are 18th after sacking Carrick, with Pochettino linked and safety still in reach.
Manchester United have dismissed Michael Carrick following a damaging 4-4 draw with Aston Villa, a result that left the club 18th in the Premier League and intensified a season already heading in the wrong direction.
Carrick, a former United midfielder, had initially arrived as interim manager in January after the dismissal of Ruben Amorim. At the time, the club sat seventh in the table, and Carrick steadied results with a 12-3-2 run to finish third. That form earned him the permanent role.
This campaign has been a stark contrast. United are the only Premier League side yet to win more than once, with their sole league victory coming against newly promoted Ipswich Town on Aug. 30. Since then, the Red Devils have recorded five draws and three defeats in league play. They are now only one point above last place.
The situation is striking, but with the season just over a quarter complete, there is still time for recovery. What happens next will be watched closely, particularly by followers of the U.S. men’s national team, given the reports linking United with Mauricio Pochettino.
According to multiple reports, United have identified the USMNT coach as their preferred candidate to fill the vacancy. Pochettino recently re-signed to lead the U.S. through the 2030 World Cup, but his contract includes a buyout clause that could allow him to take the United job.
The timing may suit a change. The Premier League is in an international break, and United do not play again until Nov. 22. That would give any new manager time to settle before the club travels to Liverpool in its first game after the restart.
Elsewhere, there is growing confidence that North Carolina State will appoint Philip Rivers as its next football coach. Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reported that Rivers “has formally accepted” the job, while ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and Pete Thamel said the school’s board of trustees will meet on Friday to finalize his contract.
Rivers, 44, was a four-year starter for the Wolfpack before an 18-season NFL career. He returned from a four-year retirement last season to start three games for the Colts after injuries to two Indianapolis quarterbacks. His coaching résumé remains limited, though he is currently head coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama, where he has led state semifinal runs in 2024 and ’25.
Manchester United
Carrick’s Exit Exposes United’s Wider Problems
Carrick’s exit leaves United exposed, with injuries, poor planning and uncertain futures.
Manchester United have once again reached a familiar crossroads in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, moving on from a manager who once appeared to be the answer.
No side collected more Premier League points after Carrick took over as interim boss last season, a spell that carried United to third place and persuaded INEOS to hand him the job permanently. There was also an understanding that 2026/27 would be harder, with more matches and greater expectation, but few could have anticipated how badly the campaign would unravel.
Just two and a half months into the season, United’s form has become hard to defend, with relegation talk no longer sounding entirely far-fetched. Supporters have made their view clear: the anger is directed less at Carrick than at the players and those above him.
After the 3-0 loss to Bournemouth last month, the squad walked off to a chorus of boos once Carrick had disappeared down the tunnel. The team assembled by Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox has not delivered, and both men now face the task of choosing the next manager. Mauricio Pochettino looks the likeliest candidate.
Injuries have also played a part, particularly Benjamin Šeško’s early-season problems. He managed only 206 minutes in all competitions before Carrick was dismissed, forcing the manager to improvise with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in central positions. Joshua Zirkzee, despite Carrick saying in September that he “believes” in him, was largely overlooked.
“I’m telling you, Josh can do some really top things. I’ve seen it myself, and I’m looking forward to him doing that a little bit more,” he said.
Zirkzee has not started a league game this season and has mostly been used in brief appearances, though he did score at Como and helped spark the late comeback against Aston Villa on Sunday.
Marcus Rashford also benefited from Carrick’s arrival. Barcelona declined to keep him permanently, allowing him back into the fold, and he was restored after being frozen out by Amorim. Yet his season has brought no goal contribution, and injury followed after he lost his starting place.
Kobbie Mainoo is another who gained from Carrick’s return. Reintroduced to the side, he earned a new contract in April and a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad. United then tried to prepare for Casemiro’s exit with the arrivals of Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba, but the broader picture still points back to the same issue: the manager has paid the price for failings elsewhere.
Analytics & Stats
Manchester United end Michael Carrick’s brief reign after another turbulent spell
United have sacked Michael Carrick after a brief spell that faded, leaving more chaos than control behind.
Manchester United have dismissed Michael Carrick, ending a stay that never settled into anything resembling control. The club said the decision was taken after concluding that “the club has come to the extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve our ambitions.”
Carrick had been handed three more matches in a last attempt to justify the two-year deal awarded in the summer. What followed only reinforced the sense of drift. United lost, won and drew across three wildly different games, each one adding to the disorder around the team rather than easing it.
There was promise before collapse against Chelsea, a recovery from a dreadful first half to beat a Roma side that then went further in the second period, and then 98 chaotic minutes against Aston Villa on Sunday. Across all three, Carrick’s influence appeared minimal. Lisandro Martínez’s head loss, favourable penalty calls and Zion Suzuki’s weaknesses in the air loomed larger than the manager charged with restoring order.
United are now expected to move towards U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino, with formal steps already underway to appoint the Argentine.
Carrick had been brought in to steady the club after Ruben Amorim’s departure in January, much as United once turned to Ole Gunnar Solskjær after José Mourinho. His strongest spell came in the second half of last season, when a return to 4-2-3-1, players in preferred positions and a smaller set of regular starters helped stabilise performances. The calmer tone around him also contrasted sharply with Amorim’s approach. As Carrick said of the word “philosophy”: “I hate that word.”
Yet the effect faded over the summer. Bruno Fernandes summed up the initial idea by saying, “Michael came in with the right ideas of giving the players responsibility, but also some freedom to take the responsibility on the pitch for the decisions that are needed,” but that freedom soon tightened. Fernandes even pushed back against instructions to “half-press” against Como.
By the end, Carrick had become more observer than architect. Even the fans’ support during the slide into the relegation zone hinted at how little he could alter. Starting Diogo Dalot at left back may have been exposed against Aston Villa, but the wider issue remained the same: if the club do not recruit better, no manager can conjure solutions from nowhere. In the end, Carrick paid for the moment when his magic ran out.
