Manchester United confirms Michael Carrick has left as men’s first-team head coach
Manchester United can confirm that Michael Carrick has departed his role as men’s first-team head coach, the club said on Thursday 12 November 2026. The club said the decision followed a disappointing start to the season and that a change was necessary to achieve its ambitions.
The club’s announcement continued a pattern of formal departure statements at Old Trafford dating back more than a decade. On Tuesday 22 April 2014 the club said: “Manchester United has announced that David Moyes has left the club. The club would like to place on record its thanks for the hard work, honesty and integrity he brought to the role.” Two years later, on Monday 23 May 2016, the club’s statement read: “Louis van Gaal is to leave Manchester United, with immediate effect. Executive vice chairman Ed Woodward said: ‘I would like to thank Louis and his staff for their excellent work in the past two years culminating in winning a record-equalling 12th FA Cup for the club (and securing him a title in four different countries). He has behaved with great professionalism and dignity throughout his time here.’ A decision on a successor as manager will be announced soon.”
Manchester United’s public departures continued with José Mourinho on Tuesday 18 December 2018: “Manchester United announces that manager José Mourinho has left the club with immediate effect. The club would like to thank José for his work during his time at Manchester United and to wish him success in the future. A new caretaker manager will be appointed until the end of the current season, while the club conducts a thorough recruitment process for a new, full-time manager.” The club’s statement on Sunday 21 November 2021 noted: “Manchester United announces that Ole Gunnar Solskjær has left his role as manager. Ole will always be a legend at Manchester United and it is with regret that we have reached this difficult decision. While the past few weeks have been disappointing, they should not obscure all the work he has done over the past three years to rebuild the foundations for long-term success.”
On Monday 28 October 2024 the club announced: “Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager. Erik was appointed in April 2022 and led the club to two domestic trophies, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024. We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future.” That sequence of departures included a statement on Monday 5 January 2026 when the club said: “Ruben Amorim has departed his role as head coach of Manchester United. Ruben was appointed in November 2024 and led the team to a Uefa Europa League final in Bilbao in May. With Manchester United sitting sixth in the Premier League, the club’s leadership has reluctantly made the decision that it is the right time to make a change. This will give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish. The club would like to thank Ruben for his contribution to the club and wishes him well for the future.”
The Football Daily extract also carried unrelated items from the broader email: a joint statement from the Korean FA and players read: “First of all we would like to sincerely apologise to the Korean public and football fans for the concern caused by recent reports concerning the national team. At our recent meeting we gathered to share our thoughts on the national team openly and honestly. By listening directly to one another and discussing matters we had not had sufficient opportunities to address, we were able to gain a better understanding of each other’s positions” — issued alongside the names Son Heung-min Kim Min-jae, Lee Jae-sung, Hwang In-beom and Hwang Hee-chan.
Readers’ letters reproduced in the email included critical and satirical reactions. One letter from Chi said: “Oh no! Where will the USA! USA! USA! ever be able to find a manager who could lead us to the dizzying heights of yet another humiliating defeat in the round of 16? A completely empty safari shirt on a clothes hanger could do that. Now he’s leaving the national team to prioritise a club team, which is exactly what he criticised Christian Pulisic for doing a while back. A $10m dollar buyout from Manchester United is a way more appealing prospect than another World Cup cycle with this guy. Adios, Mauricio. I’d add gracias, but for what, exactly?” John Collins wrote: “If any Manchester United fans weren’t already feeling that their board had totally lost its moral compass, then might I suggest that in holding the board meeting to seal Michael Carrick’s fate in Monaco a new bar in tone-deafness has been set. Out of touch, no? Pas du tout. Bonne chance, Mauricio, you are going to need it fella. Meanwhile, let’s pencil in the next board meeting for six months’ time or so. Circus Circus in Las Vegas anyone? Might be too many clowns” and Ken Muir added: “With Lil Wayne doing his bit in the jungle, how long before we do actually see Don Pochettino playing a starring role in the Joel & Jim-hosted caper show I’m A Previously Respectable Manager … Get Me Out Of Here?”
Join Simon Burnton for piping hot MBM coverage of Barcelona 2-0 Arsenal in the Women’s Champions League from 5.45pm (all times GMT). Then join Scott Murray for Harry Kane’s coronation as England’s record cap winner, and England 4-1 Croatia in the Nations League from 8pm. This report is an extract from the Football Daily email; to receive the full edition readers were directed to follow the instructions on the publication’s page.