Unai Emery is among Manchester United’s dream candidates to replace Michael Carrick, who is on the brink at Old Trafford after their Champions League humiliation at Como.
United face a huge decision on Carrick after their wretched winless stretched to seven games – with Wednesday nights 4-1 defeat in Italy the worst of the lot. Bruno Fernandes’ criticism of Carrick’s tactics in an interview with TNT revealed unrest in the dressing room and that could be the final straw for the ex-Middlesbrough boss.
Having got the last two appointments so wrong – Carrick followed the unmitigated disaster of Ruben Amorim – there would be huge pressure on the Ineos kingmakers if they decide to roll the dice on another mid-season change.
They will be faced with a dilemma. Go for an out-of-work candidate like Eddie Howe or Antonio Conte or try and lure one of their most coveted options like Emery or Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler.
The i Paper understands that Emery, who led Villa to the Europa League title and qualifying for the Champions League, has plenty of admirers among the Old Trafford hierarchy, who noted how he was forced to rip up and rebuild his squad in a summer spent wrangling with financial fair play regulations.
His superb record at Villa Park has seen him deliver two fourth-placed finishes and also a Champions League quarter-final – vastly superior to anything United have served up during the same period.
Whether Emery, who has been at Villa Park since 2022, would entertain a job offer from Manchester United remains to be seen. Sources close to him have suggested he is absolutely committed to Villa, where he enjoys huge power and influence, but there would undoubtedly be interest from the Old Trafford hierarchy in the Spaniard if Carrick leaves.
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Among the other candidates are Conte, whose direct, authoritarian approach would be a direct contrast to Carrick’s more collegiate philosophy. The Italian is understood to be keen on the role, having been out-of-work since leaving Napoli at the end of last season.
His CV is one of the best in Europe, boasting multiple titles in Italy and England, but there are question marks over whether his abrasive, confrontational style would work at a club where the scrutiny is intense. Former United player Ashley Young, who has worked under Conte, said the appointment had the potential to be a “disaster” given concerns over the work rate of the current squad.
Howe is another out-of-work boss whose track record would demand attention and he is the current bookmakers’ favourite and, perhaps, the most sensible choice.
He left Newcastle in the summer having ended the Magpies long trophy drought and led them in two Champions League campaigns. He built one of the strongest sides in the country but departed this summer with the club in the middle of an extensive rebuild and having sensed impatience among the St James’ Park crowd.
He is not understood to be desperate to return to management and sources close to Howe are adamant that he would only take a job that feels the right “fit”. He is understandably demanding about having the right structure around him and would want influence in recruitment decisions so any discussions with Ineos would likely revolve around the role of Jason Wilcox, whose own job has come under scrutiny of late.
He wanted a lengthy break from football after a relentless few years at Newcastle but would Howe really be prepared to pass on Manchester United if they came knocking?
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Former Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna is also understood to be interested, having been linked with the job when Carrick was appointed. Back then United decided to delay in the belief that this summer would have seen world class coaching options available – only for Carrick’s record in charge to make him the most compelling candidate.
McKenna’s influence is understood to show up well across data metrics and he was Brighton’s first choice to replace Roberto De Zerbi before they opted for Hurzeler. He is also a former Manchester United coach, having been promoted from the academy by Jose Mourinho.
Hurzeler is also on United’s radar, although with Brighton performing so well in the Premier League that is another sales pitch that may fall on deaf ears.