Eddie Howe is the odds-on favourite to be the next Manchester United manager after another defeat seemingly put Michael Carrick on the brink of the sack.
Carrick's side were thrashed 3-0 at home to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday - a result which leaves them 16th in the table and just one point above the relegation zone.
United have won just twice across their opening 12 games of the campaign in all competitions and those came against newly-promoted Ipswich and Champions League minnows Sabah - both at Old Trafford - while back-to-back defeats to Como and Bournemouth extend their winless run to eight.
If Carrick is to depart, Howe is the odds-on favourite with Sky Bet at 4/6 to take charge, while Julian Nagelsmann is close behind him at 5/2.
Howe has been out of work since leaving Newcastle in the summer while former Bayern Munich boss Nagelsmann stepped down as Germany head coach following their failed World Cup campaign.
Unai Emery and Antonio Conte have also been considered by United as possible replacements, with Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher tipping the Aston Villa manager as an ideal choice.
He said: "He is a manager I look at when I think about Manchester United. People say behind the scenes at Aston Villa, he runs the whole club. Sir Alex Ferguson did that at Manchester United. It's not just not the United way, it's not the way in football generally.
"I think Emery is the best manager in the Premier League. But I've got this thing with him.
"Yes, his record in the Europa League is amazing, but surely somebody who is that successful wants to be known in the Champions League? He wants to win the Champions League. He's not going to do that at Aston Villa.
"He's had two experiences that haven't gone particularly well for him, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal. And I just think surely he would want that opportunity to prove himself at an absolute giant of a football club. Sorry, Villa fans."
Next permanent Manchester United manager (odds via Sky Bet)
Eddie Howe - 4/6
Julian Nagelsmann - 5/2
Antonio Conte - 5/1
Unai Emery - 17/2
Odds correct at 23:10 GMT (25/10/26)
As for Carrick, he denied that his waves to the fans at Old Trafford after the defeat were not those of goodbye. He said: "It wasn't from me. I'm feeling mixed emotions. I feel for the players as they are going through a tough spell.
"Some of it we can help, for some the situation unravels. The boys are feeling it.
"I have mixed emotions to have that connection with the supporters in the moment we're in. I need time to digest that.
"I appreciate their support but the situation is where it's at. We haven't been good enough."
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville can see little other option than for United to sack Carrick, saying: "It is going to get ridiculously difficult for Michael Carrick to be Manchester United manager moving forward. That's the problem the club have got. It is horrible to say that.
"I did think that last season that the club should have gone for the best manager they could have got and not given the job to Michael Carrick.
"Because I felt this might happen this quickly but this has gone very, very sour very quickly and the club is a mess."
More from Sporting Life
- Fixtures, results and live scores
- Home of This Week's Acca
- Football and other sports tips
- Download the Sporting Life app
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
