Michael Carrick's future on the Manchester United manager's bench is set to be decided on Wednesday in Monaco. Chief Executive Omar Berrada and Sporting Director Jason Wilcox are meeting with their boss there, with Carrick's status being the main topic of discussion.
According to reports, Berrada and Wilcox are expected to recommend that Carrick leave. The duo attended the last three matches. The team's chaotic play and inability to prevent opponents from scoring led them to conclude that a managerial change is necessary to pull United out of crisis. United have conceded 30 goals in 15 matches this season — 19 in 10 Premier League games, eight in four Champions League matches and three in one Carabao Cup match.
The club is currently in 18th place, in the Premier League relegation zone, with only one win in the first 10 matches and none since August. It is their lowest position so deep into a top-flight season since 1986/87, when they finished 20th. The Monaco meeting had been on the calendar for some time as a regular periodic meeting between senior executives and their boss. Sources emphasise that the choice of location was not driven by the discussion about Carrick's future.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has a home in Monaco and whose company Ineos has offices there, bought a minority stake in United of 28.94 per cent for just over a billion pounds less than three years ago. On Christmas Eve 2023, he stated: "Our shared ambition is clear: we all want to see Manchester United where it belongs, at the very top of English, European and world football." Meetings in Monaco used to take place every six weeks, but have been less frequent recently. Those who have attended say they are held in the morning, last three to four hours and usually finish on time so that Ratcliffe can go for his regular lunchtime run.
United stuck with Carrick after a heavy 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth on 25 October. Sources within the club were adamant they wanted to give Carrick and his players a chance to turn the situation around. It was also felt that the two-week international break in November offered a better opportunity for a thorough assessment of the season's start. However, the team ended their long wait for a victory against Roma on 3 November, overturning a two-goal deficit in a chaotic match to win 3-2. They subsequently failed to capitalise on an excellent first half against Chelsea, eventually losing 2-0, with experienced centre-back Lisandro Martinez receiving a red card. On Sunday, they conceded two goals in five minutes and had to come from two goals down twice to secure a point against Villa.
Sources claim that the comebacks showed that United's team is still playing for Carrick. As an alternative to sacking Carrick, additional coaching support for the existing staff is also being considered. One option is Aaron Danks, Bayern Munich's coach, who worked with Carrick at Middlesbrough and was mentioned as a potential reinforcement during the summer. Berrada and Wilcox's recommendation is expected to be accepted. If Ratcliffe decides otherwise, it would raise serious questions about the future of Berrada and Wilcox, who have been the subject of intense and frequent fan dissatisfaction. Sources are confident that Ratcliffe still trusts the pair.
United are on track to sack a manager mid-season for the third year in a row, after supporting them in the summer transfer window and spending millions on new signings. The decision to dismiss the previous two managers was not made at a Monaco meeting. Ruben Amorim was sacked 19 hours after an explosive press conference following a 1-1 draw at Leeds in January. Erik ten Hag left the day after Manchester United lost to West Ham, having managed just three wins in the first nine matches. The decision to dismiss the Dutchman was made at a meeting of Ineos senior executives in the summer of 2024, but the decision was reversed after the FA Cup final triumph against Manchester City. Four months later, a six-hour meeting was held at Ineos's London headquarters while Ten Hag's position hung by a thread; he survived that, but left three weeks later. Amorim was called to Monaco after the defeat to Tottenham in the 2025 Europa League final. There is daily contact between senior executives, and Berrada and Wilcox prefer to inform Carrick of any decision face to face.
