Manchester United's managerial situation remains finely balanced heading into the weekend, with reports suggesting the club have cooled on Eddie Howe while a new candidate has emerged in Stuttgart boss Sebastian Hoeness.
Michael Carrick remains in a vulnerable position despite a Champions League fightback against Roma, following a dismal start to the campaign. He had been widely expected to lose his job after a 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth before being granted more time after discussions between United executives.
Hoeness highly rated by United board
According to the Independent, United are 'much less sold' on Howe than widely assumed. Howe is available following his summer exit from Newcastle. The same report indicates Hoeness is held in high regard by the club.
Hoeness's reputation has grown after guiding Stuttgart to Champions League qualification and Germany Cup success since taking over a side facing relegation in 2023. Appointing the 44-year-old would echo the recruitment of Ruben Amorim, who was on a similar upward trajectory with Sporting CP before his unsuccessful stint at Old Trafford.
Permanent appointment favoured over interim
United are reportedly keen to break their pattern of temporary appointments should they opt to remove Carrick. Interim managers have become a familiar solution at Old Trafford in recent years, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer initially arriving on a caretaker basis before securing the role permanently, and Ralf Rangnick recruited to finish the season after the Norwegian's sacking in November 2021.
Carrick himself served as caretaker during the latter half of last term. According to Sky Sports, director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada would favour appointing a permanent replacement rather than another temporary measure should they decide to dismiss Carrick.
Carrick retains support for now
The current boss, however, retains their support as things stand. Carrick is encouraging the squad to build on the victory over Roma ahead of their meeting with Aston Villa on Sunday.
He said: "It was a fantastic night as a one-off night. It was a good night for us all, but nothing has been achieved yet. It's one moment we need to use to move forward.
"When you watch the game [against Roma] back, the first half wasn't so bad. There were moments when we left ourselves short, and we need to fix them.
"The first half against Chelsea was very good. We're showing signs of improvement, no doubt, and we need to take that forward."
Victory against Villa ought to earn Carrick further breathing space, but defeat could edge him nearer to the sack.
