Man Utd managerial race turned upside down as shock new favourite emerges

Manchester United find themselves in the unprecedented position of being in the Premier League relegation zone as speculation over Michael Carrick’s replacement at Old Trafford mounts.

Carrick may have bought himself a stay of execution in recent days thanks to impressive comebacks against Roma (3-2) and Aston Villa (4-4), yet the brutal reality for the popular former midfielder is that his job remains very much on the line.

United have recorded just one Premier League victory from their first 10 matches of the season and appear to have been sucked into a genuine relegation battle.

While there are countless problems at Old Trafford, Carrick is the figurehead who sees his role in the most vulnerable position. Indeed, it came as a major surprise that he was not sacked following a 3-0 home loss against Bournemouth in October.

The fortunes of the Red Devils have not particularly improved since then, leading to regular speculation that either former Newcastle manager Eddie Howe or ex-Bayern Munich and Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann could take charge.

But while Howe and Nagelsmann have been the long-term favourites for the post, a new name is now firmly in the frame with the bookmakers.

Mauricio Pochettino is now joint favourite with Howe at several bookmakers to take over at Old Trafford, having seen his odds slashed in recent days.

Pochettino’s stock remains high in Premier League circles following an outstanding five-year stint at Tottenham, where he led the club to a second-placed finish and also carried them to the 2019 Champions League final.

He has subsequently had stints at PSG and Chelsea, though neither of these was particularly successful and has led to doubts over his ability to manage dressing rooms at the highest level.

Since 2024, Pochettino has been in charge of the US national team and was responsible for leading them into the 2026 World Cup. The USMNT made a run to the round of 16 but were heavily beaten 4-1 by Belgium, having seen a controversial ban for star striker Folarin Balogun overturned on the eve of the match following a personal intervention from President Donald Trump.

He is currently preparing his squad for Concacaf Nations League action against Haiti.

Pochettino would make a surprise choice for Man Utd based on his most recent club experiences and the fact that he agreed a new contract with USMNT in August that runs until the 2030 World Cup.

“The passion we experienced from the fans throughout the World Cup only strengthened our belief in what is possible here. We are excited by the opportunity to bring all our experience and knowledge to even more areas of U.S. Soccer while helping strengthen the pathways for players, coaches and teams across the Federation,” Pochettino said in a statement.

Speculation that Pochettino could become Man Utd manager is nothing new, with the Argentine linked with the post on several occasions previously.

Read also:

Man Utd confident in race to sign 'the next Jude Bellingham'

Alisson confirms Liverpool transfer decision

Arsenal’s latest target tipped to complete transfer ‘soon’

Fabrizio Romano Transfer News: Colwill to Barcelona, Carrick sack latest, Lukeba truth

Michael Carrick confirms Man Utd resignation stance