Following an abysmal start to the 2026/27 season, Manchester United have decided to make a major managerial change. They have sacked Michael Carrick, who had taken over in an interim role last season. He was given the permanent role ahead of the season, but with United having just eight points on the board after the first ten matches of the English Premier League, the board has had enough. The club has reportedly decided to replace Carrick with a manager who knows the league very well.

According to prominent soccer journalist David Ornstein, the Red Devils have roped in USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino on a 2.5-year contract. To sign him, United will have to meet his release clause with the United States Soccer Federation, which is expected to be around $10 million. According to The Telegraph, this hiring would mean that the club’s compensation bill will cross $140 million since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure 13 years ago.

With 18 months still remaining on his contract at the time of his sacking, Carrick and his coaches Steve Holland and Jonathan Woodgate are expected to receive a payout of over $6 million. Just like this, United have lost large sums of money in recent years by sacking managers before their contracts run out. Furthermore, the club is reported to have racked up losses of approximately $587 million across the last seven seasons.

Coming back, Pochettino will continue managing the US men’s team for the time being, so he won’t arrive at United until the international break ends. He is the seventh permanent manager that the club has brought in since Ferguson’s departure. He will have a tough task on his hands right away, as United will play Liverpool at Anfield in his first match in charge. This game could make matters worse for the 13-time Premier League champions, who currently sit 18th and are in the relegation zone with just one victory in 10 matches.

In comparison, Liverpool are currently in fourth position with 18 points. Looking at United’s current form, even a draw would be considered a good result against Liverpool. They have only been able to win three of the 15 matches they have played so far this season.

On top of this, they were knocked out in the third round of the Carabao Cup following a 2-3 defeat to Brighton and currently sit 17th in the UEFA Champions League points table. They have accumulated six points from four games in the competition, winning and losing two matches each.

Carrick may have performed wonders with the team last season by guiding them to third place in the league, but the results have deteriorated heavily this season. His last match in charge saw United score two goals in stoppage time to draw 4-4 against Aston Villa at Old Trafford. While the club is yet to announce Pochettino as Carrick’s official replacement, it is widely confirmed that the Argentine will take over after the international break.

There is a possibility that Pochettino can turn things around at United. This is because he has the experience of managing multiple clubs in the league. Notably, he had previously managed both Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. His stint at the former club was particularly impressive.

Mauricio Pochettino has experience of managing clubs in the English Premier League

Pochettino managed Tottenham from May 2014 to November 2019. Though he wasn’t able to win any silverware with the club, he still racked up several impressive feats. This includes a second-place finish in the league in the 2016/17 season and securing a spot in the 2018/19 Champions League final, where they eventually lost 0-2 to Liverpool.

He also guided the club to remarkable third-place finishes in both the 2015/16 and 2017/18 seasons. Following his stint at Tottenham, Pochettino wouldn’t return to England for the next three years before becoming Chelsea’s manager in May of 2023.

However, this stint didn’t prove to be anything impressive, as he was only able to guide the club to a sixth-place finish in the 2023/24 season. He almost guided Chelsea to a Carabao Cup triumph, but Liverpool came back to haunt him and defeated the Blues 1-0 in the final.

With the results not meeting the board’s expectations, Pochettino’s time at Chelsea came to an early end. He left the club by mutual consent in May 2024 after spending just one season with them. His next destination was the USMNT, where he took over in September of 2024.

But he is now expected to leave after managing the team for a little over two years and guiding them to a Round of 16 finish at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It remains to be seen who the USMNT will bring in to replace an experienced manager like Pochettino.