Manchester United's crisis deepened on Saturday as the club slipped into the Premier League relegation zone without playing a match, after Nottingham Forest beat Manchester City at the City Ground. The result piles further pressure on head coach Michael Carrick ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash against Aston Villa, which could prove decisive for his future.
Carrick's position has been under intense scrutiny following a disappointing start to the season. The situation worsened after a 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth on October 25, which prompted talks among United's hierarchy about his future as head coach, as reported by The Athletic last week.
Survival at Old Trafford
Carrick had been widely expected to be sacked after that result, and again after a 2-0 Premier League defeat to Chelsea that sent the team crashing down the table. However, it was agreed that Carrick would oversee the Roma and Aston Villa games before his situation would be reassessed prior to the international break.
On Tuesday night, Carrick ended a nine-game run without a victory in thrilling fashion with a comeback win over Roma in the Champions League, allowing him to survive another day in the Old Trafford hot-seat. Yet the first-half performance was described as a disaster, with United fortunate not to be three or four goals down at half time.
The second half did prove that the players are playing for Carrick, so much so that Matheus Cunha got himself sent off after turning the game on its head with two quickfire goals. There is an argument that United now have some much-needed momentum, but only a win over Villa on Sunday is likely to be enough to keep Carrick in the job.
Decision makers and potential replacements
According to reports, Manchester United's football operations leadership, chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox, hold all the power regarding Carrick's future. Both were in attendance at Stamford Bridge last weekend and at Old Trafford on Tuesday, amid reports of being involved in discussions over potential replacements.
Carrick held crisis talks with Berrada and Wilcox after the Bournemouth game, and they would all - along with minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe - be expected to meet at Carrington following the Villa fixture.
Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann are leading contenders to replace Carrick if he were to be sacked. Both are currently free agents after leaving Newcastle and the Germany national team respectively during the summer, but Howe's Premier League experience may be the deciding factor if a change is made.
According to the Guardian, Howe is the current preferred candidate of Wilcox, but Nagelsmann is highly regarded by Christopher Vivell, United's head of recruitment, which means there is the potential of a power struggle at board level. German outlet Bild has claimed that Bayern Munich are interested in appointing Vivell.
In a boost for United if they pursue Howe, they would only have to pay Newcastle a compensation fee of £6 million. Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has ruled himself out of the running despite being tipped by Paul Scholes, while Antonio Conte has made it clear he would be interested in a return to English football. A move for Unai Emery appears unlikely, with the Spaniard poised to sign a new deal at Villa Park.
Sky Sports has reported that United will not hire another interim manager should Carrick be sacked, suggesting a contingency plan is already in place. In an extraordinary twist, Didier Deschamps has reportedly turned down an approach over the job. Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeness has emerged as a new wildcard name in the frame, with his appointment considered another big gamble.
