Manchester United have sacked head coach Michael Carrick after a terrible start to the 2026–27 season.
Horrible season
Carrick did a wonderful job as interim manager last season, leading the club back into the Champions League.
Nonetheless, United have won only one game in 10 league matches this season.
This means they are only 18th in the league and in the relegation zone over the November international break.
As a result, Carrick’s dismissal was made official today, and numerous reliable reports suggest that Mauricio Pochettino is on the cusp of taking over the role.
Gary Neville comments
Speaking on The Overlap, pundit and former Manchester United captain Gary Neville claimed that the Argentine coach must demand signings before he takes the job.
| Date | Competition | H/A | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08/11/2026 | Premier League | H | Aston Villa | 4-4 | D |
| 03/11/2026 | UEFA Champions League | H | AS Roma | 3-2 | W |
| 31/10/2026 | Premier League | A | Chelsea | 0-2 | L |
| 25/10/2026 | Premier League | H | Bournemouth | 0-3 | L |
| 21/10/2026 | UEFA Champions League | A | Como | 1-4 | L |
| 18/10/2026 | Premier League | A | Leeds | 1-1 | D |
| 13/10/2026 | UEFA Champions League | A | Atletico Madrid | 0-2 | L |
| 10/10/2026 | Premier League | H | Tottenham | 1-1 | D |
| 20/09/2026 | Premier League | A | Fulham | 1-1 | D |
| 16/09/2026 | League Cup | H | Brighton | 2-3 | L |
| 13/09/2026 | Premier League | H | Manchester City | 0-1 | L |
| 10/09/2026 | UEFA Champions League | H | Sabah FA | 4-0 | W |
| 06/09/2026 | Premier League | A | Everton | 2-2 | D |
| 30/08/2026 | Premier League | H | Ipswich | 5-2 | W |
| 22/08/2026 | Premier League | A | Hull City | 0-2 | L |
The former right-back stated, “if I was Mauricio Pochettino now, I would be literally protecting myself up to the high heaven.”
Neville explained, “he’ll do that with a pay-off. So do that in your contract. But secondly, he needs two defenders in January. So he’s got to insist that he gets two defenders in January. He’s got to insist that he gets a minimum budget next summer for the transfer we’re not to be able to turn this around. He’s got to insist that he gets a budget that follows.”
The Sky Sports pundit claimed that if Pochettino doesn’t get these assurances, he should not take the job.
Neville believes this is essential as the current United defence is not fit for purpose.
Commenting on how they finished the match with Diogo Dalot, Ayden Heaven, Leny Yoro and Noussair Mazraoui against Aston Villa, he said, “that is probably the worst back four in the Premier League. I don’t know a back four that is worse than that in the Premier League right now if I watch it. That is, I can’t believe Manchester United have ended up with that back four.”
The Argentine coach will have the mouth-watering task of taking on Liverpool at Anfield on 22 November should he be named head coach shortly, as reports suggest.
Featured image by Luke Hales via Getty Images
