Michael Carrick is struggling at Manchester United, and if things don’t turn around, Eddie Howe is already on the radar as a potential successor. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who became a co-owner of the club in 2024, came in with this whole idea of rebuilding around a British core, and Carrick was the first British manager under that plan. But given the difficulties Carrick is facing this season, and the huge cost of homegrown players, you gotta wonder if Ratcliffe is already second-guessing that vision. If Carrick can’t stop the rot, United is seriously looking at another British coach, one with a ton more experience.
The “Relentless Approach” That Built a Winner
It’s not hard to see why Eddie Howe is even in the conversation for one of the most high-profile jobs in world football. Chat with anyone who’s actually worked with the guy, and they’ll tell you his track record of getting players to perform better isn’t some accident. Nah, it’s a direct result of his relentless, no-days-off approach on the training field. They’ll also tell you this guy lives and breathes the methodology of creating a winning culture. Sure, Howe hasn’t managed one of the traditional top-six clubs before, but his work at Bournemouth and Newcastle? That stuff is seriously impressive. He took over Bournemouth in January 2009 when they were staring down relegation from League Two, and he led them all the way to the Premier League by 2015. He didn’t just get them there either, he established them as a proper top-flight club before he left in 2020. Then, in 2021, Newcastle came calling. Howe took them from relegation disaster to qualifying for the Champions League twice, which is just bonkers. He even snagged the EFL Cup in 2025, their first trophy in a whopping 56 years! That’s not just turning a club around, that’s a miracle worker right there.
Old Trafford’s Rocky Road and Divided Opinions
But let’s be real, managing Manchester United is a completely different animal. It’s a whole new level of pressure. So it’s not a shock that the chatter about Howe potentially replacing Carrick has been met with some serious negativity. Sections of the fanbase are all over social media, screaming that Howe just isn’t a big enough name for the gig. Even former United players like Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt weren’t exactly lining up to back him on their podcast, though to be fair, they *did* speak in favor of him back in January when Ruben Amorim got sacked. Still, it’s telling, isn’t it? On the flip side, ex-captain Roy Keane is totally in Howe’s corner, and you’ve got other big names like Darren Bent, Gareth Barry, and Jack Wilshere also throwing his name out there as the right man for the job. Look, you can always find voices for and against any manager if you dig deep enough. It’s going to come down to United’s chief executive Omar Berrada, sporting director Jason Wilcox, and director of recruitment Christopher Vivell to figure out what the heck they’re going to do.
First things first, though, they have to decide what’s happening with Carrick. Saturday’s match against Chelsea is probably going to be a massive factor in how Manchester United decides to move forward. This one feels like a do-or-die moment, seriously.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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