Manchester United sacks Michael Carrick and appoints Mauricio Pochettino

In depth

Manchester United has announced the dismissal of Michael Carrick after a particularly difficult start to the season, in which the team won one of its first ten league matches and sits in 18th place in the Premier League. With his dismissal, Carrick joins a long list of managers who failed to survive at Old Trafford since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

Alongside the discussions about Carrick's future, talks were held with Mauricio Pochettino, manager of the United States national team, who was presented as the leading candidate to replace him. Pochettino signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the club, will take up his post on November 18, and will make his debut in the away match against Liverpool at Anfield.

The dismissal carries a high financial cost: the club's compensation and transfer expenditure, including the dismissal of managers and senior staff and the purchase of replacement contracts, reached a total of £108.2 million. Carrick himself published a farewell letter to fans after the announcement, in which he wrote that he will always want the club to succeed.