Manchester United have made no decision on Michael Carrick, but according to the Guardian the club already know who they would turn to. Aston Villa's Unai Emery and Julian Nagelsmann, who is out of work, have emerged as the leading targets should the board make a change after the 4-1 defeat at Como in the Champions League league phase on 21 October. Both have admirers at board level, the paper reports.
Carrick, 45, is expected to stay in charge for the Premier League visit of Bournemouth on Sunday 25 October, with his pre-match press conference set for Friday 23 October. His job is in the balance all the same: two wins from 11 games is United's poorest start to a season since 1986.
The names in the frame
On 22 October the Guardian published a news story on the main targets and a separate analysis of the contenders. KBVN+ summarises them here:
| Candidate | Current situation | Strengths | Obstacles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unai Emery | Aston Villa head coach, contracted until 2029 | Won the Europa League last season, used to working on a budget | Earns between £10m and £12m a year; Villa's compensation could be steep |
| Julian Nagelsmann | Unattached since leaving Germany | Highly rated by United's head of recruitment Christopher Vivell; builds teams that press relentlessly | An underwhelming spell with Germany |
| Eddie Howe | Unattached since leaving Newcastle | Plenty of Premier League experience, no compensation needed | Relies on a central striker such as Benjamin Sesko stepping up |
| Antonio Conte | Unattached since leaving Napoli | Won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2017 | Combustible style, prefers a back three |
| Kieran McKenna | Unattached since leaving Ipswich | Worked on United's coaching staff alongside Carrick | On a sabbatical since resigning in June |
Emery has impressed since taking over at Villa in 2022. Last season he won the Europa League, the club's first major trophy since 1996, and finished fourth, one place behind United. He has also won trophies with Sevilla, PSG and Villarreal, though his spell at Arsenal went less well. The Guardian's analysis points out that Villa are one point and one place above United in the Premier League and doing far better in the Champions League, so Emery would have to believe United offer more potential.
Nagelsmann, 39, left the Germany job after a last-32 exit against Paraguay at the 2026 World Cup in the summer. He has managed Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich, winning the Bundesliga in 2022 before being sacked in March 2023, and the Guardian understands he would be interested in an approach. Fabian Hürzeler, by contrast, is not open to leaving Brighton, who are third after scoring 23 goals in seven games.
Pressure from the press and the dressing room
VnExpress rounded up the reaction in England: James Ducker argued in the Telegraph, as quoted by VnExpress, that defeats like this usually cost a manager his job, while the Sun criticised the decision to play Bruno Fernandes as a false nine. The bookmaker Betfair has also shortened Carrick's odds of being the next Premier League manager to go.
The numbers explain the urgency. According to VnExpress, United are 13th in the Premier League with 3 points from three Champions League games, and their last win was a 5-2 victory over Ipswich in August. Thanh Niên counts the Como defeat as a seventh straight game without a win in all competitions, three draws and four losses. United conceded in the second minute, were 3-0 down after 57 minutes and got only a stoppage-time consolation from Joshua Zirkzee.
There are signs of strain inside the squad. Thanh Niên reports that the captain told TNT Sports the team had not put enough pressure on their opponents and, asked whether that was a criticism of Carrick's tactics, said it was something for the coach and his staff to look at rather than him. The Guardian says the 32-year-old is not expected to face disciplinary action. Carrick, for his part, took responsibility for the team and the performance and apologised, Thanh Niên reports.
The Guardian also reported that Fernandes's house was broken into while he was away with the team in Como. His family were not at home, the intruders were inside for less than five minutes before police arrived, and the club is supporting the family.
Sesko could be out for months
The bad news is not confined to the dugout. Bongdaplus reports that Benjamin Sesko has missed 5 weeks with a new fitness problem, unrelated to his earlier shin injury, and that United fear the 23-year-old could be out for up to 4 months, which would keep him sidelined into early 2027. People close to the player still hope he can return before February. At his press conference on Tuesday, Carrick said the club were still waiting on test results.
Bongdaplus says United may have to look for another centre-forward in January 2027: Zirkzee has started only once in 27 games under Carrick, and Bryan Mbeumo, with 4 goals this season, has been playing out of position up front. Sesko scored 12 goals in his first season at Old Trafford.
What comes next
Bournemouth's visit on 25 October is Carrick's most immediate test. VnExpress notes that United then face Chelsea, Roma, Aston Villa and Liverpool, a run that could decide his future. For the Como defeat and the captain's comments, see our earlier report: Man Utd lose 4-1 at Como as Bruno Fernandes questions Carrick's tactics.