| Prefer us on Google — see Tips.gg in Top Stories & Discover | Add on Google |
Michael Carrick remains in limbo as Manchester United head coach after a chaotic 4-4 draw with Aston Villa, and the club’s search for a potential successor has already been rebuffed three times.
United sit 17th in the Premier League with eight points from their opening 10 matches, stuck in the relegation zone. No club has won fewer games. Five draws are all that keep them above Crystal Palace and Sunderland, the latest secured against Villa, where United twice recovered from two-goal deficits and Patrick Dorgu struck their fourth in the 96th minute.
That point failed to lift them clear of the bottom three, where they will remain until at least their next outing away at Liverpool on 22nd November. Many expected Carrick to be dismissed after last month’s 3-0 thrashing by Bournemouth. His side have since fallen to Chelsea, battled back to defeat Roma, and shared the spoils with Villa. He retains his position for now.
Reports indicate his future is being reviewed in a meeting today, with further discussions expected among senior figures throughout the international break. Those talks began after the Bournemouth defeat and resumed once United delayed their verdict until after the Villa game.
That deadline has now passed.
Should Carrick be given his marching orders, United need a successor lined up. The club are yet to settle on a No. 1 target, and three coaches admired by the hierarchy have already turned them down: Unai Emery at Villa, Didier Deschamps, who last held a club post at Marseille in 2012 and harbours ambitions for the Real Madrid job, and Fabian Hurzeler, whose Brighton & Hove Albion side sit second in the table.
Unai Emery
It was Emery’s Villa who nearly delivered what might have proved a fatal blow to Carrick’s reign on Sunday. Reports had indicated the Spaniard was the preferred candidate to replace the Englishman.
Emery has proved transformative at Villa Park, steering the club to Europa League triumph last season. United were believed to be weighing up an approach if Carrick were removed, though he is now poised to commit his future to Villa with a new contract.
Chants of “10 more years, 10 more years, Unai Emery” rang out from the away section on Sunday, with the 55-year-old in discussions to prolong his tenure beyond 2029, when his existing agreement expires.
Pursuing Emery would have presented considerable challenges regardless. Villa would have demanded substantial compensation, with the Spaniard under contract on wages of £12million annually. He also likes control of transfers and key decisions, meaning he might not have suited United’s structure.
Didier Deschamps
France legend Deschamps has lifted the World Cup both as a player and a manager, and following his departure from Les Bleus after this summer’s tournament, he remains available. United are claimed to have approached his representatives to sound him out about a potential move to Old Trafford.
The response came swiftly. Deschamps turned down the opportunity to take on what has become a poisoned chalice, pointing to a desire to extend his sabbatical from club management alongside the widespread disarray at United. The 58-year-old also keeps the Real Madrid position in mind should Jose Mourinho falter.
Fabian Hurzeler
Cast your eyes towards the summit of the Premier League table and you will find Brighton occupying a deserved second spot. The Seagulls have soared under Hurzeler this campaign, and in October, when Carrick appeared vulnerable, the German was touted for the United role.
A United board member reportedly ‘can’t stop talking’ about him and proposed his name as a frontrunner to assume control should Carrick be sacked. He dismissed any suggestion that he might be tempted to depart the Amex Stadium, remaining dedicated to the project he has spearheaded. His Brighton contract contains no release clause.
“I’m fully focused on my job here,” Hurzeler stated last month when asked about United. “I’ve got no time to think about these rumours because we play every three days.
“I’m really privileged to be here. I’m part of a journey, and I still have this feeling when I go to bed that we are not finished with our journey. I always emphasise that I’m not 100 per cent satisfied and happy with where we are; there are still improvements to make.
“It’s a people business. Making a people business out of this pressure business is something I don’t take for granted and something I won’t throw away that fast.”
The German manager also expressed solidarity with Carrick, stating: “I have a lot of respect for Michael Carrick and the job he has done at Manchester United the last season. He’s a great human being, a great personality, and I really respect him. There’s nothing more to say about that.”
Read also: INEOS Axe Lausanne Boss Elsner as Scrutiny Mounts on Carrick at Manchester United
Stick with TipsGG for full coverage of United’s next move as the international break unfolds.