Time is running out for Michael Carrick at Manchester United following the Red Devils’ Champions League humiliation at the hands of Como on Wednesday night – but who could be the next Man Utd manager?
The away end at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia cut a sorry sight as the game ebbed away from the Premier League side, with fans choosing to leave the rain-soaked stands rather than stay to watch the final throes of what had been a torrid display from their team in a 4-1 defeat.
Pressure has been mounting on Carrick as the season has progressed. Post-match comments from captain Bruno Fernandes appeared to criticise the head coach and his staff for their tactics in the game as United’s winless run extended to seven games in all competitions.
It’s looking increasingly unlikely that the former midfielder will remain in situ for much longer. As a result, we’ve taken a look at four potential replacements and how they might fit in at Old Trafford should the beleaguered board decide to make a change.
Eddie Howe
The current favourite to take the reins if Carrick is dismissed is former Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe. Currently a free agent since leaving St James’ Park in the summer, there could be an opportunity for one of his other former clubs Bournemouth to open the door for him should they leave Old Trafford with all three points this weekend.
His heroics on the South Coast helped transform the Cherries from League Two also-rans to Premier League stalwarts. Then, he was able to lead a project of transformation at Newcastle also. When he arrived, the Magpies looked like genuine relegation candidates, but the 48 year old later helped them to two Champions League finishes as well as an EFL Cup. That win over Liverpool at Wembley ended a 70 year wait for major silverware for the club.
Intensity is the name of the game with Howe. His Newcastle side pressed high and hard in a relatively rigid 4-3-3. While United have looked lacklustre in the press of late, Howe would accept nothing other than 90 minutes of relentless work. In that 2022-23 campaign in which they finished fourth, his team won the ball back in the final third 200 times, an average of 5.3 per game. United are managing just 3.0 per game this season.
It’s at the back where Howe could make the most immediate impact, though. His fourth-placed Newcastle kept 14 clean sheets and allowed just 6.4 shots per game from inside their own box. United have already conceded 10 goals in seven Premier League games this term. They are also yet to keep a clean sheet. The Red Devils are allowing 8.1 shots per game from inside the area – too many for a side with top-four ambitions.
Off the field, he would bring a calmness to the dugout that Carrick has attempted to bring without the requisite experience. Liked by players and fans, he could be a unifying figure at a club in need of stability and security. Howe is not the most eye-catching choice, but he could turn out to be the most suitable.
Antonio Conte
A decidedly more glamorous appointment would be that of Antonio Conte. A title winner in his homeland with three different clubs as well as in the Premier League with Chelsea, the Italian is a proven winner, but those trophies rarely come without considerable issues. If the United hierarchy are looking for a ‘yes man’, they should probably look elsewhere.
But what Conte is certainly capable of is turning around a side’s fortunes quickly. He inherited a Chelsea team that had finished 10th in 2015/16 and won the title at the first attempt, racking up 30 wins and 93 points. He’s adaptable too. A 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in September of that season predicated a switch to a back three and from there, the Blues were all but unstoppable over the remainder of the campaign. He repeated the trick with Napoli, taking a team that finish 10th in 2023/24 to the title in 2024/25.
That back three has become synonymous with Conte now, even if the formation often changes in front of the defence. Given that former United boss Ruben Amorim also favoured that defensive shape, there are players well-suited to a Conte system within this squad.
Similarly to Howe, the quick wins would be defensively. Conte’s title winning Partenopei side conceded just 27 goals in 2024/25 while earning 19 clean sheets. They conceded just 30 big chances across the 38 game campaign – United have conceded 14 in seven games so far this term.
The question is whether United are ready for another headstrong manager like Conte? He demands total buy-in both from inside the dressing room and out – but when that unity disappears, things tend to fall apart quite quickly. This wouldn’t be a long-term project and would require a rethink in terms of recruitment strategy but in terms of making United better in the short-term, Conte would be a near-perfect hire.
Fabian Hurzeler
On the opposite end of the spectrum from Conte, Fabian Hurzeler could be the perfect project manager for Manchester United. His Brighton side are currently flying high towards the top of the Premier League table, winning plaudits for their attractive style of play and at just 33 years old, he’s the bright young thing in European management being courted by several clubs right now.
It doesn’t hurt that one of the games in United’s current seven-game winless run was at home to the Seagulls in the EFL Cup, where despite taking a 2-0 lead the Red Devils slipped to a 2-3 home defeat. That was a first-hand demonstration of not only his tactical ability – but his motivational capabilities too.
Hurzeler’s Brighton press high and hunt the ball in the final third. They’ve won possession back in the attacking third 51 times this season, 7.3 per game and comfortably the most in the league (Bournemouth are next on 37). United have managed 21, less than half that figure. Carrick’s men have taken more shots than anyone (138 to Brighton’s 125) but they’ve scored 10 goals to the Seagulls’ 23. The German’s team turn pressure into clear chances, and that’s exactly what’s been missing at Old Trafford.
It’s not all about the transitions high up the pitch though. Brighton are dominant with the ball and more than capable of patient build-up play. The Seagulls average 59.8% possession and are among the top three in the division for completely passes from their own half into the opposition half and passes into the box. Even the average positions in the graphic above show just how balanced a team they are.
But is that replicable at Old Trafford? Hurzeler would fit more in the Ruben Amorim, Erik ten Hag mould of an interesting tactician leading a long-term project, only with more Premier League experience. But given Graham Potter‘s misfiring spell at Chelsea the question remains – how much of Brighton’s success is purely down to the manager?
Julian Nagelsmann
Julian Nagelsmann was once the most sought-after young manager in Europe, but things haven’t quite worked out since then. Although still a title winner with Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, his team never quite captured hearts and minds in the same way that Vincent Kompany has since done in Bavaria. Furthermore, this summer’s World Cup showing with Germany left a lot to be desired.
Having been linked with the Old Trafford hotseat ever since his RB Leipzig days, the stars may finally be about to align for the out of work manager. He was reportedly sounded out after Ruben Amorim left the club last season but was focused on his commitments to die Mannschaft ahead of the 2026 World Cup. A penalty defeat to Paraguay in the Round of 32 was enough to cost him the national team job.
Similar to Hurzeler, Nagelsmann’s teams are known for implementing a typically Germany high press. That Bayern title-winning side of 2021/22 won possession back in the final third 259 times in 34 league games, an average of 7.6 per game and comfortably the most in the Bundesliga. Mainz were next on 197. United are winning the ball back in the final third just 3.0 times per game this season. They also led the league for possession, shots, big chances created and xG.
But anyone can dominate Germany with Bayern. It’s perhaps from his final season at RB Leipzig in 2020/21 where the numbers are even more eye-catching. Die Roten Bullen topped the league in most defensive metrics with the fewest goals conceded and shots faced, while averaging 60% possession. It was the most impressive domestic season in the club’s history – just one year on from them reaching the Champions League semi-final stage.
While Nagelsmann would bring a dynamic, analytical approach to the role, the question is whether that time with Bayern Munich and Germany has left him slightly jaded – particularly given rumours of dressing room friction during his time with die Roten. Get the RB Leipzig version of Nagelsmann though and United would be onto a winner. He’s available, he’s reportedly interested, and he’s won a major league title with one of Europe’s biggest clubs. Few candidates offer that combination.
Next Man Utd manager odds
| Manager | Odds from Sky Bet |
|---|---|
| Eddie Howe | 9/4 |
| Fabian Hurzeler | 5/1 |
| Antonio Conte | 5/1 |
| Julian Nagelsmann | 13/2 |
| Kieran McKenna | 17/2 |
| Thomas Tuchel | 14/1 |
| Gareth Southgate | 14/1 |
| Darren Fletcher | 20/1 |
| Carlo Ancelotti | 20/1 |
| Mauricio Pochettino | 25/1 |
| Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | 25/1 |
| Luis Enrique | 33/1 |
Read more:
- Premier League predictions & tips
- Premier League outright odds
- Latest football news
- Best betting sites
- Best free bet offers
- Football accumulator tips
Latest Man Utd features
