Manchester United manager Michael Carrick is under increasing pressure after a disappointing start to the season, in which the club have won just two of nine games in all competitions.
Most recently on Tuesday, there was a loss in the Champions League against Atlético Madrid.
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Hopes were high for Man United to take new steps after a successful 2025/26 season, in which they finished as the best team behind Arsenal and Manchester City in the Premier League – and thus qualified for the Champions League for the first time since the 2023/24 season.
Fans, and apparently Lisandro Martínez after his comments over the last 24 hours, might have expected more summer signings after returning to Europe’s premier club competition – and the tighter fixture schedule that comes with it.
But the United management only brought in three central midfielders and were unable to strengthen other parts of the pitch, although they were heavily linked with a left-back such as Lewis Hall of Newcastle United and Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde.
The summer transfer window cannot be changed anyway, and Carrick cannot continue to use the lack of summer deals as a reason why the “Red Devils” are far from the level they held earlier in 2026.
United face away games against Leeds United in the Premier League and Como in the Champions League next – and they feel like a potentially crucial pair of games when it comes to deciding the 45-year-old’s future at Old Trafford.
Carrick’s record in the 2026/27 season:
| Matches | Victories | Draws | Losses | Win percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 22,2 % |
While club leaders will be determined to make things work out for Carrick at United – given they gave him their trust only a few months ago – they also know that they will need to have a plan B in mind if things don’t improve and they are forced to act.
Premier League title winner Antonio Conte has been heavily linked with the position in recent weeks, but Samuel Luckhurst instead claims that Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler is seen as the leading candidate.
Hürzeler is young, but ready for a bigger role
Hürzeler may only be 33 years old, but he has shown tremendous promise at Brighton and proves that he would be ready to make the step up to a bigger club if the opportunity arose.
The German coach had big shoes to fill when he replaced Roberto De Zerbi in the summer of 2024, but he has led the south coast club to two consecutive eighth places in the Premier League – and secured a place in this season’s Europa Conference League.
There have been ups and downs during his career, as you would expect from such a young manager, but he has started the current season strongly with the Seagulls, who have won four of their six games and are third behind Man City and Arsenal – who they beat 3-0.
Fabian Hürzeler’s record at Brighton:
| Matches | Victories | Draws | Losses | Win percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97 | 44 | 27 | 26 | 45,4 % |
Hürzeler rose from a run of one win in 13 Premier League games last season to finish the season strong and secure another top finish.
James Milner is the Premier League’s record holder for the number of games and knows the ins and outs of English top-flight football. He has been impressed with Hürzeler after working under him at Brighton.
Milner believes he is like a mix of De Zerbi, now at Tottenham, and Liverpool icon Jürgen Klopp – who he also played under for many years.
“I get flashbacks. It’s a good mix of the previous manager [Roberto De Zerbi], who was build-up-oriented, but maybe also a little Jürgen Klopp involved.
“When it comes to how we defend, in particular, the focus is on high intensity, recovery and quick reactions to ball loss. Managers have put their own stamp and their own intensity on things. He wants us to play on the front foot with and without the ball.
“I’m well acquainted with the Klopp style and hopefully that means I can help some of the boys with some of the defensive patterns. I’m quite comfortable with that and can help translate.
Hiring such a young manager would be seen as a risk by many, but Hürzeler clearly has a great future in football – and the way he has performed in the Premier League at such a young age is admirable.
United had to hope that the move worked if they decided to sack Carrick and managed to secure the German manager.
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