The Englishman could be granted a route back into English football.
Fulham v Newcastle United - Premier League
Eddie Howe is said to have been snubbed for the Man Utd job (Image: Getty)
Missing out on the Manchester United job could be considered a blessing in disguise, considering the continued death spiral the once-dominant Premier League giants find themselves in. As things stand, that’s the case for Eddie Howe with the Red Devils opting to stick with Michael Carrick for the foreseeable future.
That’s despite a dire run of two wins from 12 matches across all competitions this season, with United currently one point above the relegation zone. It is why the decision to keep Carrick as manager has raised eyebrows, but as far as Howe is concerned, it has narrowed his options somewhat.
Should Howe return to management following his Newcastle exit in the summer, Express Sport have picked out four options the Englishman may have available to him. Starting out with the club most likely to need a new manager in the coming weeks…
Pierre Sage is perhaps the only manager under similar pressure to Carrick right now. Palace are level on points with United and hovering dangerously above the relegation zone after a recent 5-0 thrashing from rivals Crystal Palace. The fans are already getting on Sage’s back and it feels like a change in the managerial department is just around the corner.
Speaking of teams struggling so far this season, would a return to St. James’ Park be out of the question? By all accounts, it was Howe leading the decision to part ways with Newcastle on the eve of the season. Matthias Jaissle has endured an up-and-down tenure so far, and if the owners decide to part ways, perhaps the club would pursue a reunion, and Howe would fancy a return?
Why Man Utd decided not to sack Michael Carrick after concerning five-word message
Fulham v Newcastle United - Premier League
Eddie Howe is currently out of work (Image: Getty)
Meanwhile, another club whose new manager hasn’t exactly shone so far this season is Nottingham Forest. Oliver Glasner left Palace for the City Ground and currently finds himself in the relegation zone. Granted, the financial backing is different, but there are some similarities to the Newcastle job at Forest when Howe took charge in 2021.
Finally, you would be a fool to bet against Carrick getting the sack this side of Christmas, given how volatile things are at Old Trafford. If Howe is keen to put himself through the ignominy of being United manager, he could just wait. History tells us that vacancies at the club are fairly frequent, and barring a miracle, it’s unlikely Carrick will transform United’s fortunes in the next few weeks. And if things start to get desperate, you’d expect the INEOS decision-makers to pick up the phone and call Howe sooner rather than later.