Despite the recent vote of confidence being passed by the Manchester United hierarchy, Michael Carrick still remains a man under huge pressure to keep his job.
It felt inevitable that the manager would depart Old Trafford after the loss to Bournemouth last weekend, but the 45-year-old has been handed another opportunity to turn the situation around.
Despite remaining at the helm for this weekend’s meeting with Chelsea, the whole picture could change once more should the Red Devils suffer yet another defeat.
The latest on United’s managerial situation
Although he’s been handed this weekend’s game against Chelsea to prove his worth, it’s starting to feel as though Carrick is still a dead man walking at United.
Other managerial options are still being lined up behind the scenes at Old Trafford should the current boss fail to transform the current fortunes on the field.
Eddie Howe is a manager who continues to receive backing from the likes of Jason Wilcox to replace the 45-year-old, but no deal for the former Newcastle United man is close at present.
Antonio Conte is another boss who has been largely touted for the position in Manchester, but concerns have been raised about his temperament and emotional maturity.
Both have proven they are capable of securing silverware during their time managing in England, and could offer an upgrade on current manager Carrick.
Why United are in need of their own Guardiola
Although there have been some controversial circumstances around Manchester City’s success in recent years, it’s not been an enjoyable period for United due to the feats achieved by their rivals.
The Citizens have dominated England’s top-flight over recent years, with Pep Guardiola the man who’s masterminded the success at the Etihad Stadium.
The Spaniard won six league titles during his 10-year period across Manchester, subsequently making the side one of the most dominant in the division’s history.
During such a period, he managed 27 matches against the Red Devils and managed to secure victory in 15 of which – subsequently securing a 56% win rate.
|
Guardiola’s trophies won at Man City |
|
|---|---|
|
Competition |
Titles won |
|
Premier League |
6 |
|
FA Cup |
3 |
|
EFL Cup (League Cup) |
5 |
|
Community Shield |
3 |
|
Champions League |
1 |
|
UEFA Super Cup |
1 |
|
FIFA Club World Cup |
1 |
|
Total |
20 |
Although he’s managed their bitter rivals, the United supporters will no doubt wish they had a manager of his calibre at the helm to help lead them back to their former glory.
How United can hire a mini Guardiola to replace Carrick
Whilst a deal to appoint Guardiola is undoubtedly off the cards given his time with City, the United hierarchy will need to look elsewhere to try and land their own version of the serial winner.
Howe and Conte are just two managers who could fill the void at Old Trafford should Carrick depart, but there are undoubtedly some doubts over both of the pair.
However, they’re not the only two under consideration, with former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann also under consideration by staff at Old Trafford.
It’s been reported by Football Insider that Christopher Vivell is keen to appoint the German at United given their time together at Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.
The report also states that he is the driving force behind the move for the 39-year-old and that he’s constantly trying to convince other staff to make a move for his services.
He may be somewhat of a risky appointment given his lack of experience in the Premier League, but the German could emulate Guardiola in moving to England and providing the goods.
Both of the managers have experience of winning the Bundesliga with Bayern, which could play a vital role in any hopes of Nagelsmann claiming title glory in England.
They both entered management at an early age and made an immediate impact at their various sides, which handed them the platform to be an in-demand managerial talent.
The aforementioned managers share a similar philosophy of liking to operate with a ball-playing system and demanding their side to play out from the back.
Nagelsmann has also demonstrated his tactical versatility in recent times and has often switched between the 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-2-1 formations depending on the opposition.
Such switches allowed him to achieve title glory back in 2021/22, and led to analyst Statman Dave dubbing the youngster as “one of Europe’s best coaches.”
Whilst he’s yet to achieve the sustained success endured by Guardiola in his career, he’s certainly at the start of his journey and has the potential to emulate his ability to secure silverware.
His appointment to replace Carrick at Old Trafford would be a highly ambitious one, but it could set the side up for success – something which has been greatly lacking in years gone by.
