Michael Carrick was present at Carrington on Monday afternoon to monitor a behind-closed-doors match involving Manchester United’s under-21 team. His arrival at approximately 1:50 pm coincided with high-level discussions elsewhere at the training facility regarding his future as head coach. Carrick arrived at about 1.50pm to watch the under-21s play a behind-closed-doors game.
Chief executive Omar Berrada and sporting director Jason Wilcox gathered on Monday morning to evaluate Carrick’s position after Sunday’s 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth. United currently sit 16th in the Premier League table, just a single point above the relegation zone. The result extended their winless streak to eight matches, leaving them with only two league wins all season. Wilcox departed Carrington shortly before 5:00 pm, with Carrick leaving soon afterward. Who have two victories all season, the defeat made it eight games without a win for Carrick’s side.
Should United elect to dismiss the 45-year-old manager, Eddie Howe has emerged as the preferred candidate for Wilcox, and initial contact has already taken place. The former Newcastle manager is receptive to taking the role, subject to contract negotiations. Hiring Howe would be significantly cheaper than pursuing Aston Villa’s Unai Emery, who would command roughly £20m in compensation.
Other names have also entered consideration for the post. Christopher Vivell, United’s head of recruitment, highly regards former Germany and Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann and is believed to have sounded him out. However, Wilcox’s preference for Howe is expected to carry more weight with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who retains control over football operations. Former Napoli manager Antonio Conte, who departed the Italian club during the summer, is also seen as a potential option.
Tensions surrounding Carrick’s tenure were highlighted by his decision to bench Bruno Fernandes for the Bournemouth match, a move the head coach attributed to “pure football reasons.” The decision followed public criticism from the 32-year-old captain regarding Carrick’s tactics during a 4-1 loss against Como last Wednesday. Fernandes remained an unused substitute on Sunday and was among the players booed by supporters in the Stretford End after the final whistle.
On Monday, Fernandes liked a social media post on Instagram stating, “Never push a loyal person to the point where they no longer care,” alongside the phrase, “The person holding everything together is usually the one nobody thinks to check on.” Separately, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos group has reportedly placed Swiss top-flight club FC Lausanne-Sport up for sale. Lausanne-Sport currently sit bottom of their division, though Ineos declined to comment on the matter.
