Manchester United stuttered to a 1-1 draw against 10-man Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, and it’s a script that has grown painfully familiar for Manchester United fans, who saw the same issues surfacing against Manchester City when Phil Foden was sent off early.
The cracks are slowly starting to appear in Michael Carrick’s crusade, as he’s statistically one of the favourites to be sacked next. If the club sacks their trusted lieutenant, who will they choose as the next Manchester United manager? With three failed managerial appointments, questions are warranted about INEOS’ approach as rumours swirl about a new managerial appointment. Will they stick to their guns or go outside the box to find United their next gaffer?
Tactically Inept: Why Michael Carrick Is His Own Biggest Enemy And Why Ruben Amorim May Have Helped In His Interim Success
Manchester United fans can’t quite wrap their head around the club’s failing fortunes. Less than six months ago, they had finished in the top three and were awaiting a long-anticipated return to the UEFA Champions League. However, only six games into the new season, the club’s fans find themselves in a familiar position – wondering who can become the next Manchester United manager and restore glory to the Theatre of Dreams.
Tactical Insights: Foundations Of Michael Carrick’s Footballing Philosophy
When Michael Carrick began his interim tenure, Manchester United were languishing in seventh with half of the season already over. The stoic Englishman quickly diagnosed the team’s troubles. He realised players were being played out of position, with no special emphasis on keeping the ball.
To fix these problems, he implemented a footballing philosophy marked by intricate passing combinations in every position. He allowed his players the freedom to make their own decisions, staving off a typically modern approach, where every passing routine is practised over and over again. Defensively, Manchester United sat deep to make up for the lack of agility in defence and midfield, rarely pressing their opponents.
That approach led to the 2025/26 season turning from a disaster to a very acceptable season, perhaps even a successful one. An interesting insight is Ruben Amorim’s perceived role in his success. Despite enjoying the lowest win rate among all Manchester United managers since World War Two, Amorim’s reign wasn’t a complete blot on the club’s rich history. The Portuguese manager focused on improving fitness standards at the club, and even brought in a leading athletics coach to achieve his objective.
The result? Not only did the players look fitter than ever, but it also meant that the next Manchester United manager after him, Michael Carrick, had the fitness levels to play energetic football on the ground. However, fast-forward to now and Carrick doesn’t have that cushion to lay back on anymore. He chose to prioritise ball-work during the club’s pre-season, with Tielemans spilling a secret that has the club’s fans worried at the start of a new season.
The combination of these issues has stunted the United engine. With a vast majority of the season and tough games in the UEFA Champions League approaching, there are murmurs that United might look to move Carrick and appoint the next Manchester United manager. If the club heads in this direction, who will be the next Manchester United manager?
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‘The Rise Of A New Dawn?’ Listing Down Contenders To Become The Next Manchester United Manager
Faced with a familiar question, the club’s new part owners – INEOS – are likely to exercise more caution this time around. The stakes are higher, and the market is bigger too, but who will be the man to replace Carrick and become the next Manchester United manager?
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Julian Nagelsmann
The young German prodigy is ranked as one of the odds-on favourites to become the next Manchester United manager. With stints in the Bundesliga and international football, Nagelsmann has established himself as one of the best in the game at this moment. His high-intensity football is characterised by a possession-first philosophy, intricate combinations around the box and a proactive defensive method. Manchester United have famously lacked a manager who knows how to coach a high press – will that change this year?
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Fabian Hürzeler
Brighton & Hove Albion’s manager has done a wonderful job building a formidable team in the Premier League over the past couple of years. The Seagulls have earned a reputation of being giant-killers, and Manchester United have suffered at their hands on many occasions. Brighton’s footballing project must inspire the decision-makers at one of England’s biggest clubs – how they silently draft managers that play positive, attacking football and improve year-on-year. Does that mean INEOS will gamble on him to become the next Manchester United manager?
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Antonio Conte
Every big club going through a bad time necessarily consider this name at some point. “I want a club who have lost sight of their own history so I can make them winners again” – the quote is proof of Conte’s ambitions and preferred role. Moreover, he has Premier League success to cement his credentials. However, his head-on approach may scare the United hierarchy away from making him the next Manchester United manager, and his defensive football may not win too many fans at Old Trafford, old or new.
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Eddie Howe
The odds-on favourite to become the next Manchester United manager. He has built his reputation brick-by-brick, starting with a competitive Bournemouth side that pressed high and attacked quickly, and then with Newcastle United, who have qualified for the UEFA Champions League under him. Widely seen as one of England’s hottest managerial talents in recent years, he might appease United’s owners courtesy of his reputation in the country’s football circuit.
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Kieran McKenna
This is an outside shout but a worthy one nonetheless. At Ipswich Town, McKenna built a hardworking team capable of keeping the ball and pressing superior position higher up the pitch. He voluntarily stepped out of the role in the summer to spend more time with his family – will INEOS lure him back into management?
These candidates each represent a different footballing philosophy and top-flight credentials. Similarly, they come with separate baggage that can prove risky – Conte is known to clash with the hierarchy while others like Nagelsmann and McKenna might struggle to impose their philosophy mid-season.
However, with results not improving, it is increasingly likely that the club departs with Carrick. The first three summers have all been disasters under the new part-owners, INEOS, who still have a lot to prove to the Manchester United faithful. The coming few weeks might not promise success for the fans, but they might include some important decisions that alter the club’s trajectory for the better. Only one question remains – who will become the next Manchester United manager?
Extra Time Talk
Another season begins, and another Manchester United manager looks set to depart.
Michael Carrick’s rocky start to the new season has the fans worried. Despite outperforming every other manager during his interim spell, the ex-England international is struggling for points at the start of this one. The murmurs about the Manchester United hierarchy looking elsewhere are growing, and the possibility of Carrick departing remains a serious one.
Choosing the next Manchester United manager is by no means a straightforward task. The managerial market is bigger than when Carrick was appointed – some exciting names like Nagelsmann, Howe and Conte have joined the fray. With a vast majority of the season left, it is a decision that will leave far-reaching consequences on one of England’s biggest clubs. Will they sack the manager, and who will become the next Manchester United manager?
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