Picture of Michael Carrick
Picture of Michael Carrick
Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick is said to be facing imminent dismissal as the club consider former Germany and Bayern Munich head coach Julian Nagelsmann, former Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe and other potential successors.
Eight-game winless run leaves Carrick on the brink
Carrick returned as head coach on 13 January after former head coach Ruben Amorim’s departure and two matches under interim head coach Darren Fletcher. He began his own interim spell with victories over Manchester City and Arsenal before guiding United to third place and Champions League qualification.
That work earned the 45-year-old a two-year contract in May, but results deteriorated sharply during the opening months of the new campaign. Wednesday’s 4-1 defeat at Como extended United’s winless sequence to seven matches.
The Red Devils nevertheless kept him in charge for Sunday’s home match against Bournemouth, having already started considering possible replacements. A 3-0 defeat followed at Old Trafford, leaving United without a victory in eight games and only one point above the relegation zone.
Dressing-room expectation grows as United assess successors
According to talkSPORT, “Dressing room insiders expect Michael Carrick to be sacked by Manchester United.”
No final decision had been communicated to Carrick by Sunday night, while his contract, which runs until 2028, is believed to contain a break clause.
In terms of replacements, United head of recruitment Christopher Vivell is said to be pushing the case for Nagelsmann. Technical director Jason Wilcox reportedly favours someone with Premier League experience, placing Howe prominently in the discussion.
Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte would be interested in the position, while Aston Villa manager Unai Emery and Brighton and Hove Albion head coach Fabian Hurzeler are also admired by Wilcox. However, neither Emery nor Hurzeler is thought to be inclined to leave his current club.
The Athletic also today noted that “The Spaniard is highly regarded at Manchester United, but an obvious sticking point would be granting him the same level of autonomy he has at Villa.”
Carrick admitted after the Bournemouth defeat that he did not know what would happen next, while insisting he would continue to act in the club’s best interests. United have a clear week before travelling to Chelsea on Saturday.
Carrick’s two decades of service to United
Carrick first joined Manchester United from Tottenham Hotspur on 31 July 2006 for an initial £14 million, with the deal potentially rising to £18.6 million. The midfielder scored 24 goals in 464 appearances for the club between 2006 and 2018.
He won five Premier League titles, the Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup, two League Cups and the Club World Cup. After retiring in May 2018, he joined United’s first-team coaching staff and worked under managers Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Carrick oversaw an unbeaten three-match spell as caretaker manager in 2021 before leaving the club that December. He subsequently managed Middlesbrough from October 2022 until June 2025, returning to Old Trafford as head coach seven months later.
A dismissal during the clear week before Chelsea appears the likeliest outcome, but the split over Nagelsmann and a Premier League-experienced option suggests the succession plan is less settled.
Final Thoughts
United staff reportedly expect Carrick to be dismissed.
No final decision had been communicated to him by Sunday night.
Nagelsmann and Howe are among the leading candidates under consideration.
United have a clear week to act before facing Chelsea.
Follow The Peoples Person
Follow The Peoples Person