Key Points
- Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville called the club’s leadership “classless” over its handling of head coach Michael Carrick’s future.
- Manchester United are preparing to appoint United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino if they dismiss Carrick during the international break.
- Director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada met with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to review Carrick’s position.
- Following a 4-4 draw with Aston Villa, United remain in the Premier League relegation zone with eight points from 10 games.
- US Soccer would be owed a reported $10m (£7.4m) in compensation if Pochettino leaves his role before his contract ends in 2030.
Manchester (Oxford Daily) November 12, 2026 – Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has publicly branded the club’s leadership “classless” for leaving head coach Michael Carrick in limbo while preparing a move to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as his replacement.
Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, Neville criticised the uncertainty surrounding Carrick’s position at Old Trafford as the club enters the November international break inside the Premier League relegation zone.
As reported by Simon Peach of the Press Association, plans are afoot at Old Trafford to recruit Argentinian coach Mauricio Pochettino should Carrick, as expected, be dismissed from his post.
How has Manchester United’s hierarchy handled the managerial situation?
Senior figures at Manchester United have spent the week reviewing Carrick’s tenure following a run of one victory in their opening 10 Premier League fixtures.
According to reporting by the Press Association, director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada travelled to meet co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who oversees football operations and would sign off on any managerial change alongside the Glazer family.
While club sources insisted at the start of the week that no final decision had been reached, a framework is understood to be in place to bring in Pochettino if the board opts to dismiss Carrick.
“Michael can go, Michael can stay, we don’t know, the owners have no idea what to do.” — Gary Neville
United’s hierarchy reportedly intends to communicate any formal decision to Carrick face-to-face, having opted just over a fortnight ago to give the former midfielder additional time to turn results around.
What has Michael Carrick said about his future at Old Trafford?
Despite mounting speculation and an imminent boardroom verdict, Carrick has maintained that he will not resign from his role and intends to continue preparing the squad for upcoming fixtures.
Following Sunday’s 4-4 Premier League draw against Aston Villa at Old Trafford—in which stoppage-time goals from Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu rescued a point—Carrick addressed his plans for the international break.
As reported by the Press Association, Carrick stated: “I’m pretty clear where we need to go and how we need to get there.”
He added: “Obviously some of the boys will be flying off around the world and different things, and the group will be split for 10 days or so. But as a normal international week is, you know, we’ll have some training. We’ll have one or two days off, but not too much. But we’ll train, and we’ll get ready for the next game.”
Why is Mauricio Pochettino linked with the Manchester United job?
Mauricio Pochettino, who previously managed Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, is understood to be keen on taking over at Old Trafford despite signing a contract extension three months ago to remain as United States head coach until 2030.
As reported by the Press Association, US Soccer would be owed compensation via a release clause worth a reported $10m (£7.4m) if Pochettino departs, and the federation is understood to have a succession plan ready to activate.
In the United States, Pochettino led training in Georgia on Wednesday ahead of Nations League quarter-final ties against Haiti, though scheduled player media availability was cancelled in observance of Veterans Day, avoiding immediate questions regarding his potential exit.
Assessing Pochettino’s credentials on Stick to Football, Neville highlighted the Argentinian’s emphasis on physical conditioning.
“One thing we do know about him is he does run his players, he does put physical fitness really at the top of the agenda. He’s always had fit teams, whether they’ve won or not won.” — Gary Neville
Neville also pointed out that United have cycled through eight managers in the 12 years since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, arguing that weak recruitment and structural failings at board level remain the root causes of the club’s struggles.
Background
Michael Carrick, who made more than 450 appearances for Manchester United as a player, originally took interim charge of the first team in January 2026. After guiding the side to a strong finish in the league, he was handed a permanent contract in May 2026 running until 2028.
However, the 2026–27 campaign has proved difficult. Manchester United have collected just eight points from their first 10 Premier League matches, leaving them 18th in the table. Across all competitions, the team has conceded 30 goals, including a 4-1 UEFA Champions League defeat away to Como and a 3-0 home league loss to AFC Bournemouth in late October.
Wilcox and Berrada previously debated Carrick’s future following the Bournemouth defeat, before affording him a stay of execution that saw a 2-0 league loss at Chelsea, a 3-2 Champions League victory over AS Roma, and Sunday’s 4-4 draw with Aston Villa.
Prediction
For Manchester United supporters, players, and coaching staff, the immediate period of the November international break will bring decisive structural upheaval.
If the board formally dismisses Carrick and triggers Pochettino’s release clause, the incoming manager will have limited time to work with non-international squad members at Carrington before the Premier League resumes with an away fixture against rivals Liverpool at Anfield on November 22.
For the playing squad, a transition to Pochettino would introduce significantly higher physical demands and tactical restructuring mid-season as the club attempts to climb out of the relegation zone.
Meanwhile, US Soccer and supporters of the United States national team face the prospect of losing their head coach just months after extending his contract, forcing an immediate activation of their contingency plans ahead of upcoming international fixtures.
