Michael Carrick’s position as Manchester United head coach remains under threat, with a sack decision looming as attention turns to this weekend’s Premier League match against Aston Villa.
Pressure has been building on Carrick after a poor start to the season, with his side only out of the relegation zone on goal difference ahead of Crystal Palace. Tuesday’s comeback win over Roma in the Champions League gave him some breathing room, but the former Manchester United midfielder is far from safe.
Talks and reassessment
According to The Athletic, United’s 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.
It was agreed that Carrick would oversee the Roma and Aston Villa games before his situation was reassessed prior to the international break. Despite ending a nine-game winless run against Roma, the first-half display was poor, and United could have been three or four goals down at the interval.
Decision makers and candidates
The second half showed the players are playing for Carrick, with Matheus Cunha scoring twice before being sent off. A win over Villa on Sunday may be enough to keep Carrick in the job, but a draw might not, especially if United enter the break in the relegation zone.
Manchester United’s football operations leadership, chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox, hold the power over Carrick’s future. Both attended the Chelsea match and the Roma game, with reports of discussions over potential replacements. They, along with minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, are expected to meet at Carrington after the Villa fixture.
Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann are leading contenders to replace Carrick. Both are free agents after leaving Newcastle and the Germany national team respectively during the summer. According to the Guardian, Howe is the preferred candidate of Wilcox, while Nagelsmann is favoured by Christopher Vivell, United’s head of recruitment. If United pursue Howe, they would only pay Newcastle a compensation fee of £6 million.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has ruled himself out, despite being tipped by Paul Scholes. Antonio Conte has expressed interest in returning to English football, but a move for Unai Emery appears unlikely as he is set to sign a new deal at Villa Park. Sky Sports reports that United will not hire another interim manager if Carrick is sacked, suggesting a contingency plan is in place.
