Reports say Manchester United are about to fire head coach Michael Carrick. Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe met chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox in Monaco on Wednesday to decide Carrick's future. A United board meeting is expected to sign off. The Athletic, Sky Sports and the Guardian report that United have nearly finished a deal with U.S. men's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino. The Associated Press says United haven't made a final decision. United are 18th in the Premier League with one league win in 10 games. Carrick still ran training Wednesday morning. Reports expect an announcement Wednesday evening or Thursday morning UK time. Pochettino is under contract with U.S. Soccer through the 2030 World Cup. His contract reportedly has a release clause of about $10 million.

Pochettino Is the Right Man for United

Supporters say United need a proven builder now. They add that Pochettino has wanted this job for years.

Carrick couldn't turn it around. He led United to third place last season after replacing Ruben Amorim. This season United have won three games in all competitions. BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty wrote that Carrick "has proved to be out of his depth since being confirmed as permanent head coach." Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher said in October that United "need to make that change tonight."

Pochettino is a different kind of hire. McNulty wrote that Pochettino sits between two kinds of hire. One is "the flawed sentimentalism of turning to fan favourites," like Carrick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The other is "the quick fix" of past winners like Jose Mourinho. He called Pochettino "a renowned builder" who developed Harry Kane at Tottenham. ESPN's Rob Dawson wrote that Pochettino "has a CV strong enough to withstand failure at United." He said Pochettino "should grab it with both hands."

He has wanted this job for years. Reports have linked him with the United job at least four times since 2016. During this summer's World Cup, he told his longtime assistant Jesús Pérez, "One day, your dream comes true. You go to Manchester United." Guillem Balague co-wrote Pochettino's book. He told the BBC that Berrada "is a fan."

But a New Coach Won't Fix United

Critics say the people above the coach keep failing. They also say Carrick deserved a better exit.

United have tried this before, many times. Former United captain Gary Neville said on NBC that firing the manager isn't "the answer." He said that's "been proven over eight managers in 12 years." He said "the ownership haven't got a clue what to do." He also said United have "people doing jobs who have never done those jobs before in senior positions."

United's bosses are dragging out Carrick's exit. After a 4-4 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday, Carrick said he wouldn't walk away. Three days later he was still taking training while his bosses met in Monaco. McNulty called the wait "a long drawn-out affair which does little credit to" Ratcliffe, Berrada and Wilcox. He praised Carrick's "basic decency." He said that makes the "ham-fisted handling of his sacking another uncomfortable episode."

Pochettino would inherit the same mess. McNulty described the club as "the dysfunctional product of years of poor decision-making and questionable appointments." He added that six different managers built the current squad. He wrote that United's fans "have made it clear who they blame" for the slide.

Some say United could do better. Sky Sports News reporter Kaveh Solhekol said Wednesday that "Eddie Howe's got a better CV," because Howe won a trophy with Newcastle. He said that "under normal circumstances," Pochettino "would not now be getting one of the top jobs at the other biggest clubs in the world." Pochettino's old U.S. contract ran out in July. Solhekol asked why United didn't hire him then: "Couldn't they have had him for nothing in the summer?"

U.S. Soccer Knew It Could Lose Him

Losing him now would set the U.S. back. But his new contract reportedly lets him leave for about $10 million.

The U.S. was off to a strong start. The team won four straight games this fall, including 3-0 over Mexico, and gave 13 players their debuts. The U.S. starts a two-game Nations League quarterfinal against Haiti on Saturday. Those are its first competitive games of the 2030 cycle. Sky Sports reported that United and U.S. Soccer still have to work out when U.S. Soccer would release him. ESPN's Cesar Hernandez weighed the case for staying, but he concluded Pochettino should go. He warned that staying would mean "a six-year run without experience or relevance in England."

Some say U.S. Soccer should just let him go. Former U.S. defender Alexi Lalas wrote, "If Pochettino goes...he goes. USSF knew the possibility when they re-signed him." He added, "Despite its precipitous decline, it's still Manchester United." U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson said in May that the federation has "plans for interims, and we have plans for replacements." Sports Illustrated noted that the buyout money could help pay for the next coach.

The players say they aren't distracted. Fulham defender Antonee Robinson said Tuesday, "For me personally, I don't really look at it." In May, when reporters asked about AC Milan rumors, Pochettino said, "I am here, and I'm not going to go away tomorrow."

Where This Lands

Pochettino's backers say United finally get a proven builder who wants the job. Neville says changing the coach won't fix a club whose owners "haven't got a clue." McNulty says Ratcliffe and his executives have treated Carrick poorly on the way out. Solhekol says United could have found a coach with a better record. Lalas says U.S. Soccer knew this could happen when it signed him through 2030. United haven't announced anything yet, and U.S. Soccer hasn't commented. The U.S. plays Haiti on Saturday.

Sources