Pochettino, Howe, Emery — and Carrick: the options facing Manchester United
Manchester United have made their worst start to a top-flight campaign since the 1986-87 season, winning one of their first 10 Premier League matches and sitting 18th in the table, one point above bottom club Crystal Palace. The run has put Michael Carrick’s 10-month spell as head coach under intense scrutiny.
Carrick’s position is fragile after a season that began promisingly; following his initial appointment as interim boss in January he recorded the most wins (12) and points (39) of any Premier League manager during the remainder of the 2025-26 season. United’s directors face a decision that would carry historical weight for the club: if the 45-year-old departs it would mean an eighth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired 13 years ago.
Mauricio Pochettino remains a long-standing name linked with Manchester United. His listed major trophies are 1 Ligue 1 and 1 French Cup, his Premier League managerial record stands at P294, W150 with a win percentage of 51 and a points-per-game ratio of 1.77, and he averaged 1.89 points per game during his Tottenham tenure. The 54-year-old signed a new contract with the USA after leading them to the last 16 of the World Cup on home soil, a deal that runs to the 2030 tournament and is reported to include a $10million (£7.44m) buyout clause and provisions allowing him to leave for specific high-profile jobs; his spell at Chelsea included a League Cup final defeat by Liverpool in 2024 and he won a league title with Paris St-Germain.
Julian Nagelsmann is another name being mentioned. He resigned in the summer after Germany lost to Paraguay on penalties in the World Cup, has won 1 Bundesliga title, and holds a Champions League win rate of 83.3% — behind only Hansi Flick’s 88.9% among Bayern managers. Nagelsmann first made his name at Hoffenheim as the youngest head coach in Bundesliga history at 28, took RB Leipzig to a Champions League semi-final in 2020, won the Bundesliga with Bayern but reportedly fell out with key players, and after leading Germany to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals he stepped down following the World Cup exit; Manchester United’s director of recruitment Christopher Vivell has worked with him at RB Leipzig.
Eddie Howe’s record in English football is well documented and he is among the potential candidates. His major trophy haul lists 1 League Cup, his Premier League record is P369, W140 with a win percentage of 37.9 and PPG 1.36, and he has five wins against Mikel Arteta across all competitions. Howe built Bournemouth into a top-flight side for the first time in their history, delivered Newcastle’s first major domestic trophy since their 1955 FA Cup win with a League Cup triumph over Liverpool, achieved two top-five finishes and returned the club to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years; he left Newcastle in the summer after a 12th-placed finish and would command only a relatively small compensation payment.
Antonio Conte and Unai Emery both feature on the shortlist for different reasons. Conte, who called Tottenham’s players "selfish" when he left after 16 months in 2023, lists major honours of 5 Serie A, 1 Premier League and 1 FA Cup, and his Premier League record is P132, W83 with a 62.9% win rate and PPG 2.03; Chelsea won 30 of 38 league matches in his first season in 2016-17. Conte left Napoli of his own accord this summer 12 months after delivering only the fourth top-flight title in the club’s history, but his exits have often involved public disputes with players or boards.
Unai Emery’s stock has risen on the back of his work at Aston Villa. His honours include 5 Europa League titles, 1 Ligue 1, 2 French Cups and 2 French League Cups; his Premier League managerial record is P200, W101 with a win percentage of 50.5 and PPG 1.75, and he holds the best Premier League win percentage (51%) and points-per-game (1.75) of any permanent Aston Villa boss. Emery took Villa into the Champions League for the first time in 41 years and ended a 30-year wait for silverware with last season’s Europa League success; despite summer departures that removed the spine of his team, his new-look side are finding their feet again and recent news suggests he is expected to sign a new contract, making the chances of him leaving for United appear slimmer.
Michael Carrick’s managerial record and recent form are central to the decision facing United’s hierarchy. As a manager his Premier League record is P29, W14 with a win percentage of 48.3 and PPG 1.76; after a strong start following his interim appointment his side have managed only three wins from 15 matches in all competitions this season. United have produced come-from-behind results — beating Roma and securing a point in a 4-4 draw with Aston Villa — but the club are in the relegation zone and 18th is their lowest position after 10 games of a season for 40 years; it is also only the second time they have gone eight Premier League games without a victory.
United directors will meet in Monaco on Wednesday to determine Carrick’s immediate future, with the outcome to be confirmed at that meeting. If the 45-year-old leaves it would trigger another permanent managerial appointment for the club and add to the sequence of changes since Sir Matt Busby’s appointment in 1945.
