Report: Man United set to consider former Premier League boss as Michael Carrick replacement

Report: Man United set to consider former Premier League boss as Michael Carrick replacement Eddie Howe and Manchester United: Why Michael Carrick Remains Safe for Now Manchester United’s slow start has already triggered the familiar questions around the dugout, the hierarchy and the next possible move. Whenever results dip at Old Trafford, the conversation quickly shifts from short-term fixes to succession planning, and Eddie Howe has naturally surfaced as a name worth monitoring. According to The Telegraph , the former Newcastle United manager would be part of the discussion if United were ever forced into a managerial rethink. Yet the key point is more important than the headline noise, Manchester United are not currently at that point, and Howe is not actively preparing for a return. This matters, because in the current media cycle a possible future option can often be mistaken for an immediate plan. From what has emerged, that is not the situation here. United’s position remains one of support for Michael Carrick, even amid disappointing domestic form, and Howe’s own stance appears measured, detached and far from urgent. Eddie Howe stance shapes Manchester United talk Howe’s stock remains high. His work at Newcastle elevated him into the bracket of English coaches capable of handling a major rebuild, while also delivering on the pitch. Winning silverware and guiding a club into the Champions League on two occasions changed the perception around him from talented organiser to proven elite-level operator. Photo IMAGO That profile makes him relevant to any major vacancy in English football. It also explains why his name does not disappear for long whenever one of the country’s biggest clubs wobbles. But relevance and readiness are two different things. The current understanding is that Howe has stepped back after leaving Newcastle and is not pushing for a quick return. The sense around him is that only an exceptional opportunity would alter that timeframe. Manchester United may qualify as a prestigious job in pure scale, but prestige alone does not guarantee alignment, especially when the role is occupied and the project remains live under another coach. That distinction is important in assessing this situation. If United were actively looking, the conversation might carry more weight. If Howe were waiting for the right opening, it might also feel more immediate. At present, neither side appears to be moving. Michael Carrick retains INEOS backing Internally, the message around Carrick is fairly clear. There is frustration over results, because there always is at a club of this size, but no active plan to make a change. INEOS and the wider football structure are understood to believe the team deserves more time, particularly after significant midfield alteration in the summer. That point should not be dismissed as a convenient excuse. Rebuilding the centre of a side often changes the whole rhythm of it, from build-up speed to defensive protection and pressing distances. United have made substantial adjustments in that area, and there is a belief that chemistry and clarity still need to develop before a final judgement is made. There is also another factor often decisive in these moments, the dressing room. The club’s reading is that Carrick still has the backing of the majority of the squad. For senior executives, that can buy valuable time. When performances are poor and players have checked out, the risk multiplies quickly. If the players remain engaged, a board is more inclined to stay calm. That does not remove pressure. Manchester United cannot continue indefinitely with sub-standard outcomes and expect patience to last. But there is a meaningful difference between concern and crisis, and by all indications United still view this as the former rather than the latter. Managerial market remains fluid The wider landscape also matters. Several big clubs have only recently committed to new managers, which reduces immediate movement at the top of the market. Chelsea have gone with Xabi Alonso, Tottenham Hotspur are backing Roberto De Zerbi, and United themselves are still in the early stages of Carrick’s tenure. That creates a holding pattern across the elite level, even if the scrutiny never stops. In that environment, Howe becomes less a live candidate and more a standing name on the board. Clubs will think about him because his credentials justify it. Decision-makers keep mental shortlists updated all the time. Yet being on a shortlist and being close to appointment are very different states. What feels most likely is that United continue to evaluate Carrick on performances over the coming weeks and months, while resisting the temptation to react to every poor spell. That would fit with the current internal line and with the idea that a reworked squad needs time to settle. If results worsen sharply, the debate will intensify. Should that happen, Howe would almost certainly re-enter the public conversation with greater force. For now, though, the noise exceeds the substance. United are backing their manager, and Howe appears content to wait for a role that genuinely compels him back into the game. Our View From a frustrated Manchester United fan’s perspective, this report is both reassuring and exhausting. Reassuring because another knee-jerk change would solve very little, especially after yet another summer of squad surgery. Exhausting because it says everything about the state of the club that every bad run instantly becomes a discussion about the next manager. Carrick deserves time, that much is fair. If the club have rebuilt the midfield, then they have to live with the growing pains that come with it. You cannot sign multiple players for one of the most important areas of the pitch and then act shocked when it takes weeks, or months, for the balance to look right. That part makes sense. What supporters will struggle with is the familiar feeling of drift. United always seem to be explaining why things will click later, why patience is needed, why a bad patch is not yet a crisis. At some point, the team has to actually play like Manchester United. The standards have dropped too often and too quietly. As for Howe, of course he is an impressive coach. Plenty of supporters would understand why his name keeps coming up. But the bigger issue is not whether he would take the job, it is why United so often look like a club permanently preparing for the next reset. Fans want conviction, structure and results, not another season spent hovering between hope and contingency planning.