Manchester United set to sack Michael Carrick after ten games, Pochettino deal agreed with £7.5m release clause paid to US Soccer, worst league start in 40 years ends a manager before he signs a player

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Mauricio Pochettino is expected to be the next Man United manager (AP) independent.co.uk

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Manchester United are expected to sack Michael Carrick on Thursday after ten games of a season that has produced the club's worst Premier League start in 40 years. United sit 18th, in the relegation zone, with one win and eight points from ten matches. The decision was taken at a Monaco meeting between chief executive Omar Berrada, director of football Jason Wilcox and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and Carrick is expected to be informed face to face at the club's Carrington training ground — where, on Thursday morning, he was pictured arriving and taking training as usual.

A deal with Mauricio Pochettino has reportedly been finalised, with the former Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea manager keen on the job despite signing a contract extension with the United States national team in the summer. Releasing him from that contract costs around £7.5 million. Pochettino has won 21 of his 35 matches in charge of the USA and took the side to the World Cup round of sixteen this year; US Soccer has already identified Pep Guardiola — who left Manchester City last summer after a decade — as its top target to replace him.

Peter Schmeichel has accused the club of "disrespectful" treatment of Carrick and argued the real problems lie above the head coach, including the inability to sign players in the January window. Carrick survived crisis talks after defeats to Como and Bournemouth last month, then oversaw a Champions League win over Roma and a 4-4 comeback draw with Aston Villa on Sunday — results that bought him ten days, not ten months.

Because Pochettino stays with the USA through their Concacaf Nations League double-header against Haiti, he will have almost no preparation time before United travel to Liverpool next weekend. The succession that cost £7.5 million in exit fees begins with a trip to Anfield.