Manchester United are expected to relieve head coach Michael Carrick of his duties after the team slipped into the Premier League relegation zone without playing, according to reports from The Athletic.
United dropped into the bottom three over the weekend when Nottingham Forest beat Manchester City, and Sunday's 4-4 home draw with Aston Villa was not enough to lift them out of the relegation places. The result extended a difficult run that has seen Carrick oversee just one Premier League win this season.
Pressure mounts after Bournemouth defeat
Club hierarchy held talks about Carrick's future following the 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth on October 25. He was widely expected to be sacked then, and again after a 2-0 loss to Chelsea in the Premier League.
However, it was agreed that Carrick would oversee the Roma and Aston Villa games before his situation was reassessed prior to the international break. Although United ended a nine-game run without a victory in dramatic fashion against Roma, the first-half performance was described as a disaster, with the team potentially three or four goals down at half-time.
The second half against Roma showed the players are still playing for Carrick, and Matheus Cunha was sent off after scoring two quickfire goals to turn the game around. But the chaotic nature of Sunday's draw with Aston Villa suggested the team had not built momentum.
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 the power regarding Carrick's future. Both attended the Roma and Aston Villa games, and were expected to meet with Carrick and minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe at Carrington following the Villa fixture.
Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann were initially the leading contenders to replace Carrick, both being free agents after leaving Newcastle and the Germany national team respectively during the summer. According to the Guardian, Howe was the preferred candidate of Wilcox, while Nagelsmann is highly regarded by Christopher Vivell, United's head of recruitment.
In a late twist, Mauricio Pochettino has emerged as the new front-runner. The former Tottenham and Chelsea boss is the bookies' favourite to become the next United manager, despite signing a new contract with the USMNT in August. According to The Athletic, there is a buyout clause in Pochettino's contract worth $10million (£7.44m) that United can trigger.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has ruled himself out, Antonio Conte has expressed interest in a return to English football, and a move for Unai Emery appears unlikely as he is poised to sign a new deal at Villa Park. Didier Deschamps has reportedly turned down an approach, while Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeness has emerged as a wildcard candidate.
