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The board’s reluctance is really a question of arithmetic. Dismissing Michael Carrick means settling a two-year contract and then funding whichever replacement arrives, so the final bill stacks up quickly. Seven league games have produced seven points, United’s weakest opening in four decades, and Como’s 4-1 win on 21 October made the mood worse. Replacement shortlists rarely mention the money, yet it shapes every conversation inside the club. For now, plain caution is winning the argument over frustration.
Carrick’s permanent appointment came on 22 May, a reward for finishing third and securing Champions League football while in interim charge. The new deal runs to 2028, with a further season available as an option. His salary has never been disclosed, which means every number in this debate is an educated guess. Working from his probable terms and what Ruben Amorim’s departure cost, the bill for removing Carrick sits somewhere between £7.2m and £8.8m.
Amorim leaving cost roughly £8.2m, a figure that began life at £16.7m before a reduction clause cut it in half. That swing is a reminder that small print can matter more than headline salary. Carrick’s own paperwork could behave the same way, so the estimated range has real width. A board watching its spending cannot ignore that uncertainty.
A new coach would not arrive free. Fabian Hurzeler is reported as the leading candidate, and his Brighton extension to 2029, signed in May, gives that club bargaining power. Brighton would expect between £10m and £15m for releasing him. Combined with the Carrick payoff, the total moves beyond £17m.
The cheaper route is to hire someone already unemployed. With Eddie Howe and Antonio Conte currently unemployed, no club would need to compensate either. That route avoids a second invoice entirely. The table lays out each scenario and its price.
| Scenario | Estimated Cost |
| Sack Carrick | £7.2m to £8.8m |
| Amorim exit (precedent) | About £8.2m after a clause cut £16.7m |
| Hürzeler compensation to Brighton | £10m to £15m |
| Hire Howe or Conte | No club compensation |
The league form gives the board little certainty either way. From seven games, United have won once, drawn four times and lost twice, which leaves them 13th. Six points from the first six matches was the poorest return since 1986-87, the season Ron Atkinson collected four before Sir Alex Ferguson took over in November.
Set against Amorim, the numbers are close. His final twelve league matches yielded 18 points and 23 goals, an average of 1.92 goals a game, and Carrick’s first twelve produced 26 points and 22 goals. Efforts on target barely differ, at 80 across the final 14 matches of Amorim’s reign and 75 across Carrick’s opening 13. The current points rate of 1.00 per game trails the 1.50 Amorim managed over his closing twelve.
Ownership has already paid heavily for changing managers. INEOS have spent a combined £31m on pay-offs for Amorim, Erik ten Hag and their respective staff, and that history makes another dismissal harder to justify. Sir Jim Ratcliffe has publicly defended his cost-cutting and signed off on Carrick’s appointment in May. Reversing that decision within months would invite uncomfortable questions.
In the wake of the Como loss, director of football Jason Wilcox received full authority over Carrick’s position. No immediate sacking is planned. Wilcox and Christopher Vivell are quietly watching the market for possible successors, so a plan exists if results deteriorate. That contingency work costs nothing yet, but it shows the club is preparing for either outcome.
Como’s 4-1 win on 21 October included two goals from Nico Paz and left United with a total of three points after three Champions League matches. No English club had previously conceded inside the first two minutes of consecutive European games. Three points from three games in the competition leave little margin for error. That run of early lapses adds weight to the argument for change.
A demanding schedule follows, with Chelsea, Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Roma all due ahead of the November internationals. A Man United Carrick sacking in Premier League 2026 remains possible, yet the board’s sums still reward waiting, at least until another heavy defeat arrives.
Is patience the smarter play, or is the board gambling by keeping Carrick? Tell us in the comments.
What would it cost United to part ways with Michael Carrick?
Estimates put a sacking between £7.2m and £8.8m. The figure passes £17m once Hürzeler’s fee is added, and Carrick’s real terms have not been published.
How long is Carrick’s contract at United?
Carrick signed a two-year deal running to 2028. The agreement also contains an option for a further full season, confirmed when his promotion became official on 22 May.
Are United planning to dismiss Carrick soon?
No immediate dismissal is planned after the Como defeat. Jason Wilcox holds authority over the decision and is monitoring results closely while he and Christopher Vivell assess possible successors.
Who could take over if Carrick leaves?
No successor has been confirmed by the club so far. The names most often linked are Hurzeler, Howe and Conte, and only Hurzeler would require a compensation payment to Brighton, who hold his contract through 2029.
When did United last endure a start this poor?
The last comparable start came in 1986-87, and it cost the manager his job. Ron Atkinson had four points from six games before Sir Alex Ferguson took his place that November.
