Man Utd next manager odds: A clear favourite to take over from Michael Carrick shows up after tough loss to Brighton
Former Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is now the favorite to take over from Michael Carrick if the English coach loses his job at Old Trafford. Carrick recently faced a tough night as his team lost to Brighton in the Carabao Cup. It was a rare moment—the first time since 1976 that a Red Devils team lost at Old Trafford after being two goals ahead.
Sky Bet shows Howe as the top choice to manage Manchester United, with odds of 15/8. England’s manager Thomas Tuchel is next at 3/1, followed by Julian Nagelsmann at 5/1. Other candidates have longer odds. Howe left Newcastle in July after guiding them to a 12th-place finish last season.
Many fans think Carrick’s job might be in danger, given that the team has only earned four points from their first four games in the 2026-27 Premier League season. The season started with a 2-0 loss at Hull in August, which was followed by a tough 1-0 derby defeat to Manchester City last Sunday. That loss hurt even more since City played almost the whole game with 10 men after Phil Foden was sent off early.
In the game against Brighton, young player Shea Lacey, who had a minor social media spat with teammate JJ Gabriel, scored first. Mason Mount added another goal, putting United 2-0 up within 10 minutes. However, Brighton fought back with goals from Charalampos Kostoulas, Pascal Grob, and Maxim De Cuyper, ultimately winning 4-3 and knocking United out of the Carabao Cup.
Despite the disappointment, reports say Manchester United don’t plan to sack Carrick just yet. Club sources told TEAMtalk they want to avoid quick reactions after recent losses. “The club believes in Michael Carrick as a young coach and there will be no rash decisions,” a source said. They also pointed out some bad luck, like two amazing goals against Everton that ruined a likely win and a controversial goal allowed in the City game.
Carrick, who recently spoke about the JJ Gabriel situation, is thought to be dealing with problems beyond his control, like transfer issues. He asked for a forward and a left-back to be signed, but the club didn’t bring in those players before the current season.
When asked about feeling pressure after being booed by fans at Old Trafford, Carrick said, “I don’t feel under pressure. The boos don’t bother me. I understand how the world works, but what matters to me is winning games and having a positive vibe around the team.”
He finished by saying his main focus is helping the team move forward and succeed.