Pochettino emerges as leading candidate as United hierarchy meet to decide Carrick's fate

Manchester United’s hierarchy are set to hold a formal review of Michael Carrick’s future on Monday, with director of football Jason Wilcox expected to have the final say on whether the manager survives the international break.

The meeting was already scheduled before Sunday’s 4-4 draw at home to Aston Villa, according to Football Insider, with Carrick having been given a stay of execution ahead of the second international break of the season. United have not won in the Premier League since their 5-2 opening-day victory over Ipswich Town in August, though they did claim a Champions League win over Roma last week before snatching a late point against Villa.

Should United decide to act, the timing at the start of the break would give the club maximum preparation time to install a replacement before domestic football resumes.

Mauricio Pochettino has emerged as the latest high-profile name linked with the vacancy, briefly moving to the head of the bookmakers’ market ahead of Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann, with odds reported as low as 2/1. The Argentine is currently contracted as head coach of the United States national team until 2030, having signed an extension in August following an impressive home World Cup campaign. Howe has been hovering around similar odds, while Nagelsmann is available at as short as 4/1.

If Carrick does retain his position, TEAMtalk report that the club’s leadership may look to strengthen his backroom staff by bringing in an additional coach. Aaron Danks, currently assistant to Vincent Kompany at Bayern Munich, is identified as a target — a connection that stems from his time working alongside Carrick at Middlesbrough. The existing United coaching staff, which includes Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate, Jonny Evans, Travis Binnion and Craig Mawson, are all contracted until 2028 following Carrick’s permanent appointment.

Sunday’s draw, while extending an unbeaten week for United, again highlighted the defensive vulnerabilities that have defined a difficult start to the campaign. The coming days at Carrington are likely to determine whether Carrick is given the time to address them.