Michael Carrick is expected to be on the touchline when Manchester United host Bournemouth on Sunday, but the club is already looking at who could come next. That is the picture painted by BBC Sport's reporting after Wednesday's 4-1 Champions League defeat at Como, and it says a lot about how fragile things have become at Old Trafford.
Business as usual, on the surface
Sources say Carrick is carrying on as normal and has not been told about any imminent change. The players were given Thursday off, and United have yet to confirm the arrangements for Friday's pre-match news conference. The defeat was followed by captain Bruno Fernandes publicly questioning the tactics, which did nothing to calm the mood. Some senior figures at the club believe that changing managers every few months has not stopped the decline, and that Carrick has been let down by players who are not performing. Others see the progress he made last season and think he deserves more time.
The names in the frame
That does not mean he is safe. Managers in and out of work have known for weeks that the job might open up. Eddie Howe is available after leaving Newcastle in the close season and is understood to be open to a return to management with United. Antonio Conte and Julian Nagelsmann, both currently without a club, are also said to be interested. Aston Villa's Unai Emery and Brighton's Fabian Hurzeler are rated highly by those in charge at United, but prising either away from their clubs would be a hard sell.
Why the numbers look so bad
Two wins from 11 games, none in the last seven, is United's worst run since 2015-16, when eight matches without a win took Louis van Gaal to the brink. They have kept a single clean sheet all season. Lisandro Martinez criticised recruitment after the previous Champions League defeat, then apologised, and an interview with Erik ten Hag about "broken promises" and a "toxic culture" added to the noise. For the third year running United have backed a manager in the summer with money and public support, and for the third year running the results have not followed.
Carrick, 45, was made permanent in May after 12 wins from 17 games in interim charge and a return to the Champions League. Not everyone agreed with the appointment, but most supporters felt he had earned a go. The next fixture arrives quickly, which makes a change before Sunday awkward, though a clear midweek after the EFL Cup exit to Brighton would give the club time to take stock.
What happens next
Our reading, not the club's: Carrick almost certainly gets Sunday, and what he does against a Bournemouth side that recently won under new boss Marco Rose may decide whether he gets much beyond it. Until the club says otherwise, the only certainty is another stretch of uncertainty at United.
Club context: Manchester United lost 4-1 at Como in the Champions League on Wednesday 21 October 2026. Next match: Bournemouth at home on Sunday. Carrick, 45, was appointed permanent head coach in May 2026. United have two wins from 11 games this season.
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