Michael Carrick is under real pressure at Old Trafford. Manchester United have taken only five points from their first five Premier League games and sit 12th in the table. Naturally, the rumour mill has started asking who might come in if things get worse. Fabrizio Romano now says the club has not started that search.
Romano: United have not reached out to any other coach
In his latest YouTube update, Romano said many supporters had been asking whether United were already sounding out other managers. His answer was that the club has made no move to contact other coaches and is not in direct talks with any manager or representative. He described the situation as completely quiet. He added that United hope it stays that way for the coming weeks, and ideally months.
That matters because the Carrick story has attracted a lot of chatter over the past week. The Italian outlet Calciomercato claimed that United had made contact with representatives of Antonio Conte, the former Chelsea and Tottenham boss. Romano’s line and the reporting from TEAMtalk’s Graeme Bailey point the other way. Bailey said his sources told him United had not been in touch with Conte at all. Football365 also reported that the club had distanced itself from the Conte claims.
Why the club is still backing Carrick
According to Romano, the board’s patience rests on three things.
The first is the summer rebuild. Romano pointed out that United overhauled their midfield in the transfer window, adding several new players in one key area, and that a group like that needs time to build chemistry. He also mentioned Baleba’s arrival as part of that picture.
The second is the dressing room. Romano says the club believes the large majority of the players are behind Carrick’s ideas, which is not something United could say about some recent managers.
The third is timing. Five league games is a small sample, and sacking a man who only recently earned the job would be a hard sell. Carrick took over as interim boss in January 2026 and was made permanent in the summer after guiding United to Champions League qualification.
Romano was careful not to oversell it. He stressed that football is a results business and that Carrick will need those results for the project to work long term. Nobody at the club is happy with the start, Carrick included.
How United’s season got here
The numbers explain why the questions keep coming. United opened with a 5-2 home win over Ipswich, then lost to Hull City and Manchester City and drew with Everton and Fulham. In Europe they made a better start, beating Sabah 4-0 in their first Champions League league-phase game.
Domestic cup football brought more pain. United are already out of the Carabao Cup after giving up a two-goal lead at home to Brighton, a collapse said to be a first in 50 years. Then came the trip to Craven Cottage. Matheus Cunha rescued a 1-1 draw with a late goal. Gary Neville was not impressed and called it “the worst 15 minutes I’ve ever seen.”
Not everyone puts the blame on the manager. Wayne Rooney has argued that INEOS left Carrick with a weak squad after the summer recruitment. Former chief scout Mick Brown has said the manager did not get enough support from the board.
What the bookmakers think
The betting market is less patient than the club. Carrick is now 5/2 to be the next Premier League manager sacked, second favourite behind Roberto De Zerbi, and 11/10 to lose his job before Christmas. Odds are not inside information, but they show how quickly the mood outside Old Trafford has turned.
Carrick has the international break to work on the team. His side hosts Tottenham at Old Trafford on October 10. There is also some bad news on the injury front. Bruno Fernandes was hurt on international duty with Portugal.
For now the position is clear. United have not called a replacement; they have not opened talks with any coach, and they are asking supporters to give the new midfield time. Whether that calm survives a bad run of results is another matter, and the Tottenham game will be the first real test of it.
