- Manchester United are enduring their worst Premier League start in 40 years, with just one win from six games under Michael Carrick
- Carrick signed a two-year deal after taking over from Ruben Amorim, but pressure is growing following a 1-1 draw with 10-man Tottenham Hotspur
- Several high-profile managers are being considered as potential replacements should the club's hierarchy decide to act
Manchester United's troubled start to the Premier League season has reignited familiar questions about the manager's future, with speculation growing over who could step in if the club decides to part ways with Michael Carrick.
The Red Devils have collected just one victory from their opening six league matches, a narrow win over Ipswich Town, and have yet to keep a clean sheet.
Source: Getty Images
A 1-1 draw against a Tottenham Hotspur side reduced to 10 men only deepened concerns at Old Trafford, with the team appearing to be outrun by their opponents for long spells. It is, by some accounts, the club's worst start to a league season in four decades.
According to The Standard, Carrick, who took over from Ruben Amorim and signed a two-year contract, guided Man United to a third-place finish and Champions League football last season. But two months into this campaign, something is clearly not working.
Here, Legit.ng has listed four managers who could take charge if the hierarchy pulls the trigger.
1. Eddie Howe
The former Newcastle United boss left St. James' Park in the summer after five years in charge, during which he guided the Magpies to automatic Champions League qualification and ended a 56-year trophy drought with a League Cup win.
Before Newcastle, Howe spent eight years at Bournemouth, earning the Manager of the Decade award at the Football League awards for taking the Cherries from League One to the Premier League.
His track record of rebuilding clubs from within makes him an attractive option.
2. Julian Nagelsmann
The 39-year-old left the Germany job following the national team's round-of-32 exit at the World Cup.
One of the most tactically adaptable coaches in world football, Nagelsmann remains the youngest manager to take charge of a Bundesliga club, having made his name rescuing Hoffenheim from relegation, per Livescores.
He maintained a 71.43% win rate at Bayern Munich and claimed the Bundesliga title in the 2021-22 season.
His counter-pressing style could reinvigorate United's midfield, though his wage demands remain among the highest in the game.
3. Fabian Hürzeler
Brighton's German coach has been one of the Premier League's standout stories this season.
His side beat Arsenal 3-0, knocked United out of the FA Cup in the third round, and outplayed Sunderland while down to 10 men for the final 30 minutes.
All of this while managing significant injury problems in attack. Brighton have conceded just five league goals from their first six matches, a remarkable defensive improvement.
Prising him away from the Amex would be no easy task, but his name would surface quickly if Carrick were dismissed.
4. Antonio Conte
The Italian has made no secret of his desire to return to management at the highest level.
In a recent interview with The Athletic, Conte said:
"If you go to a club where the history speaks for itself, a history made up of trophies, league titles and victories, you can only honour that history in one way: by having the ambition to bring that club back."
A former Premier League and FA Cup winner during his time at Chelsea, Conte brings ruthlessness and a demand for high standards.
Managing Manchester United, given the dysfunction that stretches beyond the dugout, would represent his most complex challenge yet.
Man United make Carrick sack decision
Legit.ng previously reported about Man United’s decision to keep Michael Carrick as manager, despite the club’s poor start to the Premier League season and growing pressure from Antonio Conte.
Carrick has three matches to prove he can turn things around, while Conte’s representatives have contacted United about the job. Could the fixtures against Leeds United, Como and Bournemouth decide Carrick’s future at Old Trafford?
Source: Legit.ng