A goal conceded after 2 minutes, a 4-1 defeat to Como, and a captain pointing at the coaching staff – that was Manchester United’s night in Italy.
Today's Football Predictions
Before this, they lost 2-0 to Atletico Madrid and drew 1-1 with Leeds.
Taking all three games into account, there is a question a lot of United fans are now asking out loud, and that’s whether Michael Carrick should be sacked.
United have now gone 7 games without a win in all competitions. In the Premier League, they are 13th with 7 points from 7 games – 14 points behind leaders Manchester City.
It is the club’s worst start to a top-flight season in 40 years.
And this is not just fans talking. After the Como game, captain Bruno Fernandes told TNT Sports that the staff decided not to press man-to-man and left space in behind. When it came to the tactics, he said “it is not on me.”
Carrick himself called the display not acceptable and said he has not given his position any thought.
Well, the club certainly has.
According to the Evening Standard, the home game against Bournemouth on Sunday could decide his future if no decision is made before then.
Should Carrick be Sacked?
It is easy to say yes. 7 games without a win at Manchester United is usually enough to get any manager the boot.
But there is something a lot of people aren’t saying.
5 months ago, this same man was the most in-form manager in the EPL. No team got more points than United in the final 16 games of last season. He beat Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool and took United back to the UCL.
Yes, he took over in mid-January with only 17 league games to play and no cup football. But that is exactly why this season needed a bigger squad.
Instead, the club spent £155m on 3 midfielders – Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos, and Carlos Baleba. No left-back came in. No striker came in either, even though Rasmus Hojlund was sold to Napoli.
Then add the injuries. Amad has missed the whole season so far and Sesko is still not ready. Ugarte did his ACL at the World Cup, and De Ligt has not played since October 2025.
So should Carrick be sacked?
Not yet, in my opinion.
Sacking him now will make Carrick the third United manager to go in 2 years, after Ten Hag and Amorim. At some point, the problem is not the man in the dugout.
But football does not work on opinions. It works on results. If Bournemouth leave Old Trafford with 3 points on Sunday, I don’t see how he survives.
Who Replaces Him?
If United do pull the trigger, there are a few names already on the table.
At the top of the list, there is Julian Nagelsmann. The German is 39 and a free agent after leaving the Germany job when they were knocked out by Paraguay at the World Cup. He won the Bundesliga with Bayern in 2021/22 and is known for a high-pressing style. The Telegraph says he is open to the job, and talkSPORT says he has already been sounded out.
Then you have Fabian Hurzeler. The Brighton boss is reportedly the man Jason Wilcox wants, and The Sun called him the standout candidate. Brighton are 3rd in the EPL and, of course, they knocked United out of the League Cup in September. The problem? He signed a new contract until 2029 in May, so the Seagulls will want a lot of money for him.
Antonio Conte is also available. The Italian left Napoli by mutual consent in May and could start immediately. But the Telegraph reports that he is not on the shortlist.
Eddie Howe is reportedly admired by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, but he is still in a job at Newcastle, and the Magpies are 11th.
And of course, there is Unai Emery, whom the i Paper called a dream candidate. Aston Villa won’t make it easy though.
Kieran McKenna and Cesc Fabregas have also been mentioned.
Who Should it Be?
For me, it is Nagelsmann.
He is available now, so United won’t need to pay any club to get him. He is a high-press coach, and pressing was exactly what Bruno Fernandes complained about after Como. Director of recruitment Christopher Vivell is also reportedly pushing for him.
Is he perfect? No. Germany went out to Paraguay in the round of 32, and Bayern sacked him in 2023. But no candidate on this list is perfect.
Hurzeler is a brilliant young coach, but here is what worries me – he is Wilcox’s choice. The man who built this squad is the same man picking the next coach.
That is the HUGE problem.
Whoever comes in, whether it’s Nagelsmann, Hurzeler, or Conte, will walk into the same squad with the same holes at left-back and up front.
No, it is not just a Carrick problem. It is a United problem.
