Manchester United are committed to staying the course with head coach Michael Carrick, even amid swirling rumours linking Antonio Conte to the role.
After a dismal start to the 2026/27 season, Carrick finds himself under severe pressure. Last season, he far exceeded expectations, guiding the team to a third-place finish in the Premier League and securing a spot in the Champions League following his appointment after Ruben Amorim's departure. That impressive achievement earned Carrick a permanent contract; however, the new campaign has seen United slump to 13th in the Premier League, with just one win in their opening six fixtures and an early exit from the Carabao Cup.
In light of this on-field crisis, reports from the Italian press suggested that former Chelsea, Tottenham, and Napoli boss Antonio Conte was nearing an agreement to take over at Old Trafford as Carrick's successor.
Nevertheless, according to Football Insider, the club's hierarchy have no immediate plans to sack the current manager. Former chief scout for the Red Devils, Mick Brown, emphasised that Carrick still holds significant trust thanks to his efforts from last season:
Michael Carrick still has plenty of credit in the bank for what he achieved last season. To my knowledge, there are currently no plans to dismiss him. It isn't even being considered at this time, and I don't expect a departure to be imminent.
The start of the season has indeed been a nightmare, and the results leave much to be desired - everyone, including Carrick, knows this. He understands the need for victories sooner rather than later; otherwise, calls for his sacking will only grow louder, creating even more issues. However, the club has made it abundantly clear that they're willing to give him time to rectify the situation and still see him as the right person for the job.
Journalist Graham Bailey also corroborated the calm stance of the Old Trafford hierarchy during a recent TEAMtalk discussion, especially following the disappointing 1-1 draw with a Spurs side reduced to ten men:
The message from the club is that they don’t view the quality of play as utterly hopeless. Certainly, the current position in the lower half of the table isn't ideal, but Carrick was not set the task of challenging for the title this season. The focus has been more on claiming a top-four finish. While that is proving a struggle, it’s still early days, and things could be much worse. The clear message from Old Trafford right now is: the manager is not under immediate threat.
