Michael Carrick took Manchester United training on Wednesday morning. His future was being decided the same day in Monaco, in a room he was not invited to.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe met chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox for what Sky Sports describes as a pre-planned season review. By the time that meeting broke up, United had also reached a verbal agreement in principle with Mauricio Pochettino, currently the United States head coach, to take over.
The Dublin flashpoint
The fresh angle comes from Football365’s Will Ford, who reports that the working relationship between Carrick and Wilcox had already broken down by the summer. At the club’s pre-season camp in Dublin, Carrick confronted the director of football and told him the squad needed more, specifically defensive reinforcements and backup options up front.
Those demands, according to Football365, were not acted upon. A source quoted by the outlet said Carrick “was let down, and some at the club are coming to that realisation now”.
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Steve Holland’s quiet step back
The more surprising element in the Football365 account concerns Steve Holland, the former England assistant to Gareth Southgate who had joined Carrick’s staff at Old Trafford. According to the outlet, Holland has taken a reduced, back-seat role, and his lighter involvement is being blamed internally for a drop in training intensity and standards.
It is a striking reversal for a coach whose reputation was built on the drill-work and detail he brought to the England set-up.
Martinez pointed at Wilcox after Atletico
The on-pitch picture matches the behind-the-scenes one. After a 2-0 Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid in October, Lisandro Martinez publicly criticised Wilcox, telling reporters he expected “more from our technical director” and more incoming players.
Martinez later issued a clarifying statement that stopped short of an apology. Football365 reports that Bruno Fernandes is also reconsidering his future over what the outlet describes as unfulfilled pledges about squad investment, and that the players’ view is that United’s problems extend far beyond the manager.
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The league table reads the same way. United are 18th and in the relegation zone after defeats at Como (4-1), at home to Bournemouth (3-0) and at Chelsea (2-0), with a 3-2 win over Roma and a 4-4 draw at Aston Villa offering only brief relief.
What Pochettino has to clear
Pochettino’s USA contract carries a release clause Sky Sports puts at around £7m, which United do not regard as a sticking point. Compensation for members of his coaching staff is still being worked through, and the USA play Haiti on Saturday and the following Wednesday, which may delay his formal release.
Carrick was appointed on an interim basis in January 2026 to succeed Ruben Amorim, then handed a two-year contract after securing Champions League qualification.
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