Manchester United reviewing Carrick's position as club sits in relegation zone

Manchester United are reviewing Michael Carrick's position as head coach during the international break, with reports suggesting the club intends to replace him — though Old Trafford sources insisted on Monday that no final decision had been made. United sit 18th in the Premier League, having won just one of their first ten league games.

The crisis came to a head after Sunday's 4-4 draw with Aston Villa, a result that left United in the relegation zone heading into the November pause. Director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada had already seriously considered sacking Carrick a fortnight ago, following a 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth that came on the back of a 4-1 Champions League loss at Como. The club chose instead to give Carrick and his players the chance to turn things around before the break.

That window produced mixed results: a 2-0 defeat at Chelsea — where Lisandro Martinez was sent off — followed by a 3-2 comeback win against Roma, and then the Villa draw. United are now weighing whether that run is enough to justify keeping Carrick in post, against a manager who has made clear he will not resign.

I'm pretty clear where we need to go and how we need to get there.— Michael Carrick, Manchester United head coach

Goals change games, and you've got to deal with it, and it's part of something we have to improve on drastically. But there's more than enough. We're just making it too difficult for ourselves at the moment in certain times.— Michael Carrick, Manchester United head coach

The timing of any potential change is shaped by the fixture list. The international break is the last free window of the year — after United return, there is no free midweek until mid-December, and their first game back is a trip to rivals Liverpool on November 22. That makes the coming days a logical, if not the only, moment to act.

Former Newcastle manager Eddie Howe and ex-Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann are understood to be contenders to replace Carrick, according to dpa-international. Mauricio Pochettino — who has managed Tottenham, Paris St Germain and Chelsea — has frequently been linked with the role, and bookmakers have shortened his odds significantly. Pochettino extended his contract as United States national team manager until 2030 just three months ago, according to dpa-international.

Carrick's only Premier League win of the season came in August against Ipswich. The club's solitary league victory in ten matches is the foundation of a relegation battle that few at Old Trafford anticipated at the season's outset.

Why it matters — A managerial change at one of the world's most followed clubs, with United in the relegation zone and a Liverpool away fixture looming on November 22, would mark a significant escalation of a crisis that has been building since the season's opening weeks.

Reported by yahoo.com, dpa-international.com, espn.co.uk