- Published
While head coach Michael Carrick is expected to be in charge for Sunday's match against Bournemouth, Manchester United have already begun the process of identifying possible replacements.
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United → publish → replacements
Eddie Howe, Antonio Conte and Julian Naglesmann are understood to have their eyes on the Old Trafford job.
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Howe → understand → job
Sources say Carrick is carrying on as normal and has not been made aware of any imminent change following Wednesday's humiliating 4-1 defeat by Italian side Como.
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Carrick → say → side
That defeat was followed by captain Bruno Fernandes questioning Carrick's tactics in the Champions League loss.
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Fernandes → follow → loss
The players have been given Thursday off, while United are still to confirm arrangements for Friday's planned news conference to preview the Bournemouth match.
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United → give → match
Some senior figures at United are of the view that chopping and changing mangers so regularly in recent years has failed to arrest United's decline, and that Carrick has been let down by players who are under-performing.
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who → chop → players
That does not necessarily mean that Carrick is safe, of course.
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Carrick → mean → course
But there is also an appreciation in some quarters of the progress that he and his squad made last season, and a view that he should be given more time to turn things around.
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he → be → things
For weeks, managers - in and out of work - have grown aware that the United job may become available.
uncertain
job → grow → work
Howe, for example, is available and would be considered.
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Howe → consider → example
Sources have indicated that the former Newcastle boss is open to returning to management with Manchester United after leaving St James' Park in the close season.
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boss → indicate → season
Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery and Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler's stock is high with those in the corridors of power at United - but extracting them away from their respective clubs would be difficult.
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extracting → extract → clubs
Carrick's possible fate echoes predecessors
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fate → echo → predecessors
For the third year in a row, United have publicly and financially backed a manager in the summer, but positive results have not followed.
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results → back → summer
Ruben Amorim staggered on to January, but the shock League Cup defeat at League Two side Grimsby last August and the awful performance at Brentford less than a month later stripped away his safety net and gave United's hierarchy nowhere to go when he attacked their influence.
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he → stagger → influence
United looked extensively at other candidates, including Thomas Tuchel and Roberto de Zerbi, in the summer of 2024 before deciding to stick with Erik ten Hag.
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United → look → Hag
The Dutchman was dismissed in the October.
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Dutchman → dismiss → October
Now, we have Carrick.
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we → have → Carrick
There were dissenting voices when he was appointed on a permanent basis in May, but the majority of supporters felt 12 wins from 17 in interim charge and a place in the Champions League after a two-year absence meant the 45-year-old former United midfielder deserved a crack at the job.
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midfielder → be → job
But, as ever, results shape everything.
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results → shape → everything
There are numerous reasons behind the club's poor form this season and blame can be apportioned across a variety of departments and to the very top of the club.
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blame → be → club
However, the brutal truth is two wins from 11 games, and none in seven, their worst run since 2015-16 when eight matches without a win took Louis van Gaal to the brink of dismissal, is simply not good enough.
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matches → take → dismissal
And as head coach, Carrick bears significant responsibility for that.
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Carrick → bear → that
What happens now?
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What → happen → ?
Accusations of a lack of passion, desire and intensity have dogged United all season, having won just two of their matches in all competitions.
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Accusations → dog → competitions
The team has also been hampered by injuries and players failing to reach the level anticipated.
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players → hamper → level
While they have struggled in attack, they have also only kept a single clean sheet all season as form, results and confidence have all dipped.
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form → struggle → sheet
Mixed into that negativity has come explosive post-match comments from experienced defender Lisandro Martinez, attacking the recruitment, and Fernandes, attacking Carrick and his tactics.
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comments → mix → Carrick
In between was the interview in the Athletic with Ten Hag when he spoke of 'broken promises' and a 'toxic culture'.
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he → speak → promises
It all smacks of a club lacking control, discipline and a clear forward-looking strategy.
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It → smack → control
There is certainly a view from senior figures around the club that while overall recruitment can be questioned – specifically the strategy of strengthening midfield in the most recent transfer window, at the expense of bringing in striking support for Benjamin Sesko or competition at left-back for Luke Shaw, part of a long list of absentees in Como – the players have to take a significant amount of responsibility for the current situation.
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players → be → situation
Whether that helps Carrick is another matter.
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helps → help → Carrick
The proximity of United's next Premier League game doesn't make immediate change straightforward even if that was the thinking.
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that → make → game
Following Amorim's dismissal in January, former United midfielder Darren Fletcher took over as interim manager for two games.
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Fletcher → follow → games
Fletcher subsequently returned to his role as Under-18 coach, but two of the coaches who helped him, Jonny Evans and Travis Binnion, stayed with the senior set-up as part of Carrick's team.
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who → return → team
United have a clear midweek coming up following their EFL Cup defeat by Brighton, who came back from two down to win at Old Trafford last month.
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who → have → Trafford
That, in theory, would allow time to take stock without the immediate pressure a match can bring.
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match → allow → pressure
Bournemouth secured their first Premier League win under new boss Marco Rose last week.
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Bournemouth → secure → Rose
They drew 4-4 in a memorable encounter at Old Trafford last season, prior to that, they won 3-0 on both of their previous two visits.
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they → draw → visits
It remains to be seen if Carrick will be in charge, and if so, how long after that.
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Carrick → remain → that
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
