Pochettino, Howe, Emery… or Carrick? Man Utd’s managerial options

Manchester United finds itself at a managerial crossroads after a dismal start to the 2020-21 Premier League season. The club, under the helm of Michael Carrick for the past 10 months, currently sits in 18th place, one point above Crystal Palace at the bottom of the table. With one victory in their opening 10 games, United urgently needs to address their managerial situation, having made an unprecedented eight permanent boss changes since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement 13 years ago. This would equate to as many managerial changes as they've made across the previous 68 years.

BBC Sport explores potential candidates to replace Carrick, including Mauricio Pochettino, Julian Nagelsmann, and Eddie Howe.

Mauricio Pochettino, the Argentine manager, has a strong record at Tottenham, averaging 1.89 points per game in his 25+ Premier League campaigns. He led Paris St-Germain to a league title but failed to secure major trophies at Chelsea. Pochettino is reportedly earning $10 million (£7.44 million) in buyout clauses, with the option to leave for high-profile roles. His interest in the position dates back a decade.

Julian Nagelsmann, who led RB Leipzig to a Champions League semi-final in 2020, finished his tenure with Germany just after their quarter-final exit in Euro 2024. His win percentage with Germany (83.3%) is the highest among Bayern Munich managers in the Champions League. Despite being criticized by some key players, Nagelsmann's reputation remains strong in European football.

The third candidate, Eddie Howe, has a robust record in English football, leading Bournemouth to their first top-flight status and Newcastle to the FA Cup victory. Howe's win percentage of 37.9% and 1.36 points per game position him as a strong contender. His past success and the relatively small compensation cost for Newcastle may make him an attractive option for Manchester United.