Manchester United manager Michael Carrick is under mounting pressure as his side prepares to face Como on Wednesday without an away win all season and no victory in over a month.
The team's last outing ended in a fourth draw in seven league matches at Leeds. In Europe, United have recorded one win and one loss, with the latter followed by a controversial post-match interview involving Lisandro Martinez.
Shearer names Carrick alternatives
Former England captain Alan Shearer has placed Fabian Hurzeler at the top of his shortlist of three potential replacements should United part ways with Carrick. While acknowledging the German has never managed in such a high-attention environment before, Shearer expressed confidence in Hurzeler to rise to the challenge.
"If Carrick is relieved of his duties, Hurzeler would be a good replacement, but it's a very different model at Brighton," Shearer told Betfair. "I guess the manager you'd also look at is Eddie Howe. You'd look at Antonio Conte as well, but you know, whether you like it or not, that's what happens when you're not winning football matches and when you're at one of the biggest clubs in the world so you have to accept that, and I'm pretty sure he does."
Shearer's remarks came prior to the weekend's fixtures, during which United drew at Leeds while Hurzeler's Brighton thrashed Crystal Palace by five goals to nil. The Seagulls have also claimed four victories from six encounters against United since Hurzeler assumed control in 2024, most recently coming back from 2-0 down to beat United in the Carabao Cup.
Ten Hag's claims about transfer failures
Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has opened up about several high-profile signings he failed to bring to Old Trafford. The Dutchman claimed Harry Kane and Declan Rice were among his targets, along with his compatriots Frenkie de Jong and Brian Brobbey.
"I said to them [the United board], 'I want only one player - and you know who'," Ten Hag told The Athletic, referring to his pursuit of Kane. "I fought for it. I heard that he was very positive, but I never spoke with him about the issue. I don't know how the decision process went with John [Murtough], Richard [Arnold], the Glazers. They came to the conclusion. I don't have the insights in the financials."
While Kane joined Bayern Munich, Rice ended up at Arsenal in what was at the time a Premier League record move. "The issue was that West Ham didn't want to let him go. I think we could have done more to test," Ten Hag said. "We were on one page, they tried, but I don't know how the process went. The point is, at United you need outstanding players."
