Man United fired Michael Carrick on Nov. 12 and are lining up USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino. What's confirmed, what it means for U.S. Soccer, what's next.
Manchester United fired head coach Michael Carrick on Thursday, Nov. 12, and the man expected to replace him is the U.S. men's national team coach, Mauricio Pochettino. The club confirmed the exit in a statement on its own website. Sky Sports, ESPN and The Guardian all report that United have a verbal or framework agreement with Pochettino, though neither United nor U.S. Soccer has announced a hire as of Thursday afternoon.
Why did Manchester United fire Michael Carrick?
Results. United sit 18th in the Premier League after 10 games with a single win, over Ipswich in August, which Sky Sports calls the club's worst-ever start to a league season. The Guardian says they are a point behind 17th-placed Coventry. Carrick's last match was a wild 4-4 draw with Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday, after United fell 2-0 down inside four minutes and 4-2 down early in the second half.
The club's statement said United had reached "the extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve our ambitions." It called Carrick "a Manchester United legend" and noted that he guided the team to third place last season by winning 12 of the final 17 games. According to ESPN and The Guardian, the decision came after chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox met minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco on Wednesday, then told Carrick on Thursday morning.
Carrick took over as interim coach in January and signed a deal through 2028 on May 22, less than six months before the sacking, Sky Sports notes.
Is Mauricio Pochettino really leaving the USMNT?
Everything points that way, but it is not official. Pochettino signed a four-year extension with U.S. Soccer in August, after the team reached the round of 16 at this summer's World Cup, according to ESPN. That deal reportedly includes a release clause: about $10 million (roughly £7.5 million), per The Guardian. Sky Sports puts the figure at £7 million. The clause covers only Pochettino; United would owe more for his staff.
ESPN reports that United have contacted U.S. Soccer about activating the clause. BBC Sport says it understands Pochettino will arrive in Manchester to take his first training session on Nov. 18 or 19.
The USMNT plays Haiti in the first leg of a Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal on Saturday, Nov. 14, at Nu Stadium in Miami (4:30 p.m. ET, according to MLS). The second leg is in Cincinnati next week. ESPN, CBS Sports and NBC Sports list it for Tuesday, while Sky Sports says Wednesday, so check the schedule before you plan. A federation source told ESPN the plan is for Pochettino to coach both games, though the exact timing of his exit is his call.
Who coaches the USMNT next?
Nobody has been named. ESPN lists U.S. under-23 coach Steve Cherundolo and under-20 coach Gonzalo Segares as possible internal options. The Athletic reported that Pep Guardiola has been discussed inside the federation as a target. The report called a pursuit "not straightforward nor easy," and U.S. Soccer has not commented. Treat it as a report, not a plan.
What is confirmed and what is not
- Confirmed by United: Carrick has left his role as first-team head coach, and the club wants a permanent successor "as quickly as possible."
- Reported by several outlets, not announced: Pochettino has agreed to take over; his first match would be at Liverpool after the international break, according to the Evening Standard.
- Not settled: the exact fee, the date Pochettino leaves the USMNT, and who replaces him.
Our take
This is a rough week for U.S. Soccer. Pochettino spent two years rebuilding the program, signed through 2030 only three months ago, and is leaving with the team just back from a World Cup run on home soil. A $10 million clause is small change for a club of United's size. A coach leaving between two knockout legs is the awkward version of that deal. For United, a new manager can lift a dressing room for a few weeks, as Carrick himself did last season. Whether that fixes a team in the relegation zone is another question. Gary Neville said on Sky Sports that 12 years of changing managers has not been the answer.
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Picture credit: Manchester United
