Michael Carrick arrived at Carrington at 7:15am on Tuesday with his position as Manchester United manager hanging in the balance, as reports suggest he will be sacked today. Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox are pushing for a change.
The United board have reportedly decided the 45-year-old is not the right person for the job after just one Premier League win in 10 games leaves the club in the relegation zone.
Early arrival at Carrington
According to the MEN, Carrick and United's available squad members were scheduled to return to Carrington on Tuesday regardless, with the boss clocking in at 7:15am. While he typically arrived around 7:30am, insiders reveal he has been showing up earlier lately as the heat intensifies.
Sunday's chaotic 4-4 draw with Aston Villa means United enter the international break languishing in the drop zone, having secured just one victory from their opening 10 Premier League fixtures this campaign.
Recent results under scrutiny
The former midfielder came dangerously close to losing his job a fortnight ago following consecutive defeats to Como and Bournemouth by a margin of three goals, but was surprisingly given another opportunity.
The results since have been far from convincing, though there have been signs of improvement. United showed promise in the opening 45 minutes against Chelsea despite losing, then mounted a comeback from 2-0 down to overcome Roma in the Champions League.
Against Villa, they found themselves 2-0 and 4-2 down before somehow rescuing an improbable point. However, they have shipped eight goals across those three matches, prompting Berrada and Wilcox to hold talks on Monday to review whether Carrick has demonstrated he can turn the situation around.
Replacement search begins
With the verdict expected to be negative, Carrick looks set to be axed after just 32 matches at the helm, and the search for a potential replacement is already in motion, with USA manager Mauricio Pochettino emerging as the leading candidate in recent days.
Pochettino is scheduled to oversee two USA fixtures during the international break, but his contract contains a release clause that would make any approach for the Argentine more straightforward.
