Alan Shearer names ‘good replacement’ for Michael Carrick at Manchester United

Alan Shearer believes Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler would be a ‘good replacement’ for Michael Carrick at Manchester United.

Carrick’s position at Old Trafford is already uncertain following United’s poor start to the season.

The ex-England midfielder made a superb impact upon his return to Manchester United last season, leading his former club to a third-place finish and ensuring they qualified for the Champions League.

But the Red Devils have only won one of their first seven league games this season and remain in the bottom-half of the Premier League following Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Leeds United.

Manchester United appear ready and willing to give Carrick more time but that patience could soon run out if results do not improve.

Shearer reckons Hurzeler would be a suitable replacement for Carrick if United did decide to make a change but says Old Trafford bosses may also ‘look at’ Eddie Howe and Antonio Conte.

Hurzeler’s Brighton are currently third in the Premier League – just five points behind leaders Manchester City – and thrashed rivals Crystal Palace 5-0 on Sunday.

Former Newcastle United boss Howe has been out of work since leaving St James’ Park in July, while Conte is also searching for his next role after his exit from Napoli.

‘If Michael Carrick is relieved of his duties, Fabian Hurzeler would be a good replacement, but it’s a very different model at Brighton,’ Shearer told Betfair.

‘I guess the manager you’d also look at is Eddie Howe. You’d look at Antonio Conte as well.

‘Whether you like it or not, that’s what happens when you’re not winning football matches and when you’re at one of the biggest clubs in the world so you have to accept that, and I’m pretty sure Michael Carrick does.

‘That’s why Michael desperately needs some results or he’s going to continue to get names linked with his job.’

Carrick was left with mixed feelings following Sunday’s draw at Leeds as Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s second-half goal cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo’s first-half opener.

‘It was a tough game for both teams,’ he said. ‘There was an edge to the game.

‘In little moments, we played some good football. It is maybe a bit understandable that it is a tough place to come. We had to work for it.

‘I was proud of the boys for the way they went about that today in difficult circumstances. It is a bit more than effort.

‘Application is the way you go about it as well and the plan and the responsibility in the roles and I thought the boys took that for the most part.

‘It was a tense game, it was a tight game and one that could have gone both ways, so we will take the point and move on.’

Manchester United return to action in the Champions League on Wednesday night with a trip to Italy to face Cesc Fabregas’ Como.

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