Manchester United Sack Michael Carrick, With Mauricio Pochettino Set to Take Over

Manchester United sacked head coach Michael Carrick on Thursday with the club in the Premier League relegation zone, and is finalizing a deal to hire U.S. men's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino, according to reports. United have won one of their first 10 league matches this season and drew 4-4 with Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday. The club said a change was necessary after a disappointing start and called Carrick a legend. Director of football Jason Wilcox led a review, and he and CEO Omar Berrada met part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco. The board, including the Glazer family, then signed off. Berrada and Wilcox told Carrick on Thursday morning, ESPN reported. Pochettino has a framework agreement and a release clause of about $10m (£7.5m). He signed a four-year extension with U.S. Soccer in August after the USA reached the World Cup round of 16. United return from the international break against Liverpool on Nov. 22.

The left-leaning Guardian leads with the sacking and Pochettino being poised to take over. It concentrates on how the decision was made: the Wilcox review, the Monaco trip, the Glazer board approval and Carrick still turning up for work. It also notes that United must pay extra to take Pochettino's staff. The right-leaning Fox News and New York Post lead with Pochettino. Fox, written before the sacking was confirmed, calls United a club in crisis and notes they have not been relegated since 1973-74. The Post calls the firing the biggest domino and cites ESPN and The Athletic sources saying the league position was not acceptable. Both sides report the Monaco meeting, the clause and the club statement. They differ in that the Guardian treats Pochettino's deal as agreed and the Post and Fox present it as near. Alternative outlets add that ESPN's report is brief and CBS Sports adds fan reaction and summer transfer context.