Manchester United retain Carrick despite 3-0 Bournemouth loss as board fails to identify credible replacement

Manchester United will retain Michael Carrick as head coach at least until this weekend’s trip to Chelsea, after the club’s key stakeholders concluded they are not convinced by any of the free-agent managers currently available to replace him.

Carrick’s position appeared untenable following Sunday’s 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth — a result that left United 16th in the Premier League, one point above the relegation zone and without a win in eight matches across all competitions. Majority shareholders Joel and Avram Glazer, minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, director of football Jason Wilcox, and CEO Omar Berrada held a lengthy call on Monday to discuss his future.

Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann had emerged as the leading candidates to succeed Carrick. Wilcox is understood to favour Howe, who departed Newcastle United in the summer and is said to be familiar with the inner workings of Old Trafford having anticipated a potential opening. Nagelsmann, meanwhile, is being championed by head of recruitment Christopher Vivell, who worked alongside the German during their time together in the Red Bull group.

Antonio Conte is also understood to be under consideration. The former Chelsea and Tottenham manager has been a free agent since leaving Napoli in the summer, though United have not made a formal approach. A source cited by The Sun offered a blunt assessment of the club’s pulling power in the managerial market: “The best ones won’t come.”

Unai Emery has admirers within the club, but the Aston Villa manager is contracted at Villa Park until 2029, making any approach both costly and complicated.

Carrick’s record since taking permanent charge has been a stark contrast to his celebrated caretaker spell last season, when he accumulated more points per game than any other Premier League manager from the point he took over, ultimately guiding United to a third-place finish. This term, however, United have already been eliminated from the League Cup in the third round by Brighton and sit 20th in the Champions League group standings.

The failure to strengthen defensively in the summer — particularly at left-back — has been widely identified as a key factor in United’s struggles, despite midfield additions in Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans, and Andrey Santos.