Eddie Howe may insist on bringing his complete backroom staff should he receive an approach from Manchester United. The ex-Newcastle manager has become a frontrunner to take over from Michael Carrick, whose future hangs in the balance after United's 3-0 loss to Bournemouth on Sunday.
The outcome left United languishing in 16th place in the Premier League table and extended their winless streak across all competitions to eight matches, following a 4-1 Champions League defeat by Como just four days earlier.
Howe's Backroom Demands
According to talkSPORT, United technical director Jason Wilcox is "leaning towards" Howe as club bosses weigh up their next managerial hire, with Antonio Conte and Julian Nagelsmann among the other options. However, tempting the unattached 48-year-old to Old Trafford may depend on whether United are willing to meet his requirements behind the scenes.
Howe, who departed as Newcastle manager following five years in charge last July, has remained firm when it comes to demanding his own personnel around him. A potential move to Celtic fell through in 2021 after both sides failed to reach agreement over his backroom team.
Previous Stance on Staff
"I felt that if I was to come into a pressured job like [Celtic], I needed to go in with a sense of stability," Howe told The Athletic in 2022. "I could have recruited new staff, but then you're working each other out and there's a transition process where it probably takes three, four, five months. That's five months too late. I needed my staff with me and we couldn't get them together."
Should United submit an official offer, they would be expected to reach agreements with Howe's established backroom team, including assistant Jason Tindall, first-team coaches Stephen Purches and Simon Weatherstone, and sports scientist Dan Hodges. All four have collaborated with Howe at both Bournemouth and Newcastle.
United's Existing Setup
United already have a substantial coaching setup at the club, with Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate, Jonny Evans, Travis Binnion and Craig Mawson among the five personnel Carrick brought in when he assumed control as interim head coach in January. Whether these coaches would leave alongside Carrick or stay at Old Trafford remains uncertain. Nevertheless, their circumstances could dictate how much capacity Howe has to appoint his own personnel.
United have historically been prepared to facilitate a new manager's chosen staff, allowing Ruben Amorim to recruit five members of his support team from Sporting CP upon his arrival in 2024. If Howe is their favoured option, they may have little choice but to offer him similar guarantees.
Should Carrick stay in charge, his next challenge comes against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. A further loss would leave United with four defeats in five matches and heap additional pressure on the former midfielder, whose position might become untenable.
