Ratcliffe backs Eddie Howe as United's winless run reaches eight games

Michael Carrick’s position as Manchester United manager is under serious threat after a 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth on the weekend left the club without a win in eight games, intensifying pressure on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe to act.

Ratcliffe is reportedly backing Eddie Howe as his preferred replacement, according to The i Paper, with the United co-owner said to be keen on appointing an English manager at Old Trafford. That preference aligns with Ratcliffe’s earlier pursuit of former England head coach Gareth Southgate for the role.

Howe, 48, left Newcastle in the summer and has indicated he intends to take a break from management, but his status as a free agent makes him a financially attractive option. His record at Newcastle speaks for itself — he delivered the club’s first major trophy in 70 years — though questions persist over whether he would receive comparable financial support at United.

There is, however, a reported split within United’s boardroom over the appointment. Director of football Jason Wilcox is said to share Ratcliffe’s preference for Howe, while head of recruitment Christopher Vivell is understood to favour Julian Nagelsmann, with whom he worked during the German’s time at Bayern Munich. Antonio Conte has also been mentioned among the candidates under consideration.

A key condition for any Howe appointment could prove to be a sticking point. The former Bournemouth and Newcastle boss has a well-documented insistence on bringing his own coaching staff, a demand that previously scuppered a potential move to Celtic in 2021 when the Scottish club declined to meet that requirement.

The boardroom dynamics at Old Trafford have been further complicated by defender Lisandro Martinez’s public criticism of Wilcox over what the Argentine described as inadequate summer recruitment, raising questions about the director of football’s own long-term standing at the club.