Howe leads three-man shortlist as Carrick faces heat after Brighton cup exit

Manchester United were eliminated from the Carabao Cup on Wednesday after squandering a two-goal lead to lose to Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford, with sections of the crowd booing the side off the pitch at full time.

The defeat is the third consecutive occasion United have lost their opening fixture in a cup competition, under three different managers. Ruben Amorim oversaw a Carabao Cup exit to Grimsby early last season, Darren Fletcher was in temporary charge when Brighton knocked them out of the FA Cup in January, and now Carrick has suffered the same fate.

Carrick took over as interim manager following that January FA Cup defeat before earning the role on a permanent basis in May, after guiding United to Champions League qualification. An underwhelming Premier League start combined with the cup exit has prompted fresh speculation about whether another managerial change could arrive ahead of schedule.

Should United move on from Carrick, former Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is the bookmakers’ frontrunner to succeed him. Howe departed St James’ Park over the summer after nearly five years in charge, during which he ended a 70-year wait for a major trophy at the club.

Julian Nagelsmann is the second favourite. The German coach left his role as Germany national team manager following their early World Cup exit, with Jurgen Klopp stepping in as his replacement. Nagelsmann won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich but departed the Bavarian club midway through his second season in 2023.

Third in the betting is Thomas Tuchel, the current England manager, who was linked with the United job before Carrick’s permanent appointment. Tuchel ultimately signed a contract extension intended to keep him in charge of the Three Lions through to Euro 2028 — it was he who replaced Nagelsmann at Bayern in 2023.

Further down the list, former Italy manager Antonio Conte was previously linked with United in 2021 before joining Tottenham, while ex-England boss Gareth Southgate is understood to be an admired figure by United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Former United coaching staff member Kieran McKenna, who walked away from Ipswich Town after leading them into the Premier League, is also among the names in circulation.