Manchester United Sack Michael Carrick After Worst Start in Forty Years

A dismissal after six months in charge

Manchester United confirmed on Thursday the dismissal of their manager, Michael Carrick, after completing the club's worst start to a season in forty years and after spending just six months in the job.

"Following a disappointing start to the season, the club has reached the extremely difficult conclusion that we need a change to achieve our objectives," the club said in a brief official statement.

Despite this, the club avoided drawing blood and had warm words for Carrick: "Michael is, and always will be, a Manchester United legend. Just as he did as a player, he has conducted himself with the best values of dedication and professionalism during this time back at the club," they stressed.

Carrick took on the interim role in January, following the departure of Rúben Amorim, and signed a two-season contract as permanent manager in May. Hopes that he could reverse the club's decline, based on a end of season in which he qualified United for the Champions League after two years of absence, were there.

The candidates to take over at Old Trafford

The favourites to take the Old Trafford bench are Eddie Howe, who has not managed since leaving Newcastle United last summer, and Julian Nagelsmann, who coached Germany at the last World Cup. United's intention is to have it sealed ahead of the trip to Anfield against Liverpool on 22 November.

Mauricio Pochettino is also strongly linked, although the Argentine renewed with the United States national team until after the 2030 World Cup and has a multi-million clause to leave. According to the BBC, in recent hours he is becoming the club's first option.

The club, which did not mention any names in its statement, only promised to "appoint a permanent successor (not interim) as soon as possible".

A disappointing start to the campaign and a dressing room under tension

However, the start to the campaign has not been the expected one, with just one win in the Premier League that has left them third from bottom with eight points from thirty possible, plus some painful thrashings they have conceded and matches in which they dropped points despite playing against one fewer, such as in the Manchester derby and against Tottenham Hotspur. In the Champions League they are seventeenth with six points from twelve.

Carrick seemed to have set his stay at the club on track, at least until after the break, thanks to the last two results. United came back from 0-2 down against Roma in the Champions League and drew 0-2 and 2-4 with Aston Villa at the weekend, including two goals in stoppage time.

Despite these green shoots, after nine games without a win, the Old Trafford board met this Wednesday in Monaco with Jim Ratcliffe, the club's owner, and has taken the decision to sack Carrick and begin the search for a new coach, the eighth since Alex Ferguson left in 2013.

During his time at United, Carrick has had to deal with a disappointing summer in terms of signings, which led to criticism of the board from players such as Lisandro Martínez, and even hints of rebellion in the dressing room itself, with the Bruno Fernandes case. The captain was punished with a game on the bench for complaining about Carrick and his coaching staff's tactics in the 4-1 defeat to Como.

The coach has also had to go through the ordeal of taking Tuesday's and Wednesday's training sessions, despite the fact that it was an open secret and it had already leaked in the English press that he was going to be sacked. EFE

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