United perform managerial U-turn with top candidate “firmly in contention” to become permanent boss – report

Manchester United’s 1-2 loss to Newcastle last week did not come as a surprise to many fans. It had been a while coming based purely on the team’s recent performances. They were poor against West Ham but managed to grab a late equaliser through Benjamin Sesko. It was another sluggish display against Everton, settled by a brilliant counter-attacking goal from the Slovenian. The win against Crystal Palace came after the Eagles were reduced to 10 men at the start of the second half. But the Red Devils failed to make it count when the Magpies saw red in the first half. INEOS have not given up on Michael Carrick The manner of the defeat meant question marks were raised about Michael Carrick and his future, with INEOS reportedly looking at alternatives, including Roberto De Zerbi. However, according to Teamtalk, Jason Wilcox has still not given up on the caretaker head coach, and feels the former midfielder has done a fantastic job since taking over from Ruben Amorim. The co-owners will not rush into a decision, as the Glazers did with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and will assess the market before taking a final call at the end of the season. “Manchester United have indicated internally that Michael Carrick is firmly in contention to become the club’s next permanent head coach, but the hierarchy remain determined that any appointment will only be made after a full and exhaustive search, TEAMtalk understands. INEOS will not rush into a final decision “Despite the impressive run, the club’s leadership are taking a measured approach and are refraining from both an announcement any time soon and a public acceptance that Carrick is indeed the forerunner for the job. “To that end, sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that director of football Jason Wilcox has made it clear to ownership, players, supporters and Carrick himself that the next permanent appointment will only be made once a thorough process has been completed. “Wilcox is leading the search, working closely with United CEO Omar Berrada and head of recruitment Christopher Vivell. The trio are currently assessing the managerial market while simultaneously building the long-term football structure around the club’s next head coach.” Six wins, one draw and only one loss in eight games is a great start, and hopefully, Michael Carrick can make amends on Sunday when the 20-time English league champions take on Aston Villa. The game has taken on added significance, with both teams vying for third spot in the league table and the chance to qualify for the Champions League next season. Feature image James Fearn via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25