Manchester United sacked manager Michael Carrick

For the third year running, Manchester United have got rid of their manager midway through a season. Michael Carrick leaves just 10 games into the campaign, with the club sitting in the relegation zone after their worst start for 40 years. They've won just one match, and that was back in August. United's bosses made the decision to fire Carrick at a meeting in Monaco where co-owner Jim Ratcliffe is based. It was only in May that they gave Carrick a two-year permanent deal after he guided United to a third place finish as interim boss. They spent around $170 million on new players in the summer, but it all unravelled. After a poor start, defender Lisandro Martinez publicly criticised the club's recruitment strategy. And captain Bruno Fernandes then spoke out against Carrick, who, as a player, won 12 major trophies at United, including five Premier Leagues and the Champions League. Ultimately, though, he went the same way as his predecessors. Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim were both sacked after being backed in the transfer window. It's been less than three years since Ratcliffe took a minority stake in United, with the American Glazer family retaining majority ownership. Ratcliffe said he had big plans to return the club to the top of world football. But that dream seems even further away now, with United in a relegation battle, searching for their eighth manager since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.