Manchester United's board will reportedly decide to sack head coach Michael Carrick at a meeting in Monaco today led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox are said to be formally presenting their recommendation that the head coach depart. A two-year contract Carrick signed before the end of last season apparently includes an exit clause that would only see the club pay out for this season.
Carrick's final days at Old Trafford
The head coach arrived at Carrington this morning, having had Monday off following Sunday's 4-4 draw with Aston Villa. Berrada and Wilcox were both in the stands at Old Trafford watching.
After sitting together on Sunday, according to talkSPORT, the pair will recommend today that Carrick be relieved of his duties. United's head coach made clear in an interview with Sky Sports after the match that he would not be resigning.
Decision during international break
That decision will seemingly be taken out of his hands, two days into the November international break. Players not called up by their national teams are also due to report for training today.
Sources have told the MEN that Berrada and Wilcox have lost faith in Carrick's suitability to turn their season around. United are 18th in the Premier League.
Pochettino emerges as frontrunner
Mauricio Pochettino has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Carrick in recent days. Southampton were in a similar predicament when he took over in January 2013.
They were just three points above the relegation zone, having spent much of the season there. Saints never re-entered the bottom three after appointing Pochettino, rising as high as 11th.
After securing safety with a game to spare, they finished their first season following promotion in 14th, five points clear of the drop. Weeks after taking charge, United beat Southampton, but left Sir Alex Ferguson impressed by their performance in defeat, as Pochettino recalls.
Speaking to FourFourTwo earlier this year, the Argentine said: "In his final season as a manager, we played a great game against United with Southampton. At the press conference afterward, he said we'd been the most complete opponent United had faced."
Through the secretary of the League Managers Association, he asked for my phone number so that we could have lunch. It was a meeting in London between colleagues – between a genius and an apprentice.
Pochettino also said: "United have always shown interest, but the ideal scenario to manage there has never quite materialised. In any case, that lunch with Sir Alex had absolutely nothing to do with it."
