Manchester United announced it has parted ways with Michael Carrick after the club slid into the relegation zone following 10 Premier League games.
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Manchester United fired coach Michael Carrick after overseeing the club’s worst start to a Premier League season, leaving the team in the relegation zone after 10 games.
The club said it had reached “the extremely difficult conclusion that a change is necessary in order to achieve our ambitions,” and added that it intended to appoint a permanent successor as quickly as possible.
Carrick’s dismissal came after a 4-4 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday left United 18th among the 20 teams, with one league win all season and eight points from 10 matches.
The firing followed an internal review, with Carrick told on Thursday morning by chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox that his reign had ended.
Manchester United said in a statement that Carrick is “a Manchester United legend” and praised his “dedication and professionalism.” The club said his leadership and achievements last season “will always be fondly remembered.”
Carrick had been appointed on a short-term deal midway through last season, guiding the team to a third-place finish and Champions League qualification. United’s results this season included three wins in all competitions and an eight-game winless run in league play, along with elimination from the English League Cup.
The move also comes as scrutiny on the club’s ownership is expected to increase. Fans staged protests against the owners during the Villa game, calling on them to sell the club.
In addition, the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust issued a statement saying, “It is time for the owners to explain themselves and show some accountability,” and argued that problems facing the club “lie with the ownership,” including the Glazer family in the United States and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe through his INEOS petrochemicals group.
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