Michael Carrick inherited a Manchester United team in a difficult position at the beginning of 2026. The club had endured a disappointing spell under Rúben Amorim, whose time in charge ended after his reaction to the draw at Leeds. Darren Fletcher was then handed the reins on an interim basis as United considered their next move, but his tenure got off to a poor start when Brighton secured a 2-1 FA Cup victory at Old Trafford. The result knocked United out of both domestic cup competitions at the earliest possible stage.

Carrick’s arrival quickly changed the mood around the club. Taking over shortly before the Manchester derby on January 17, he guided United to consecutive wins against Manchester City and Arsenal, giving them an immediate boost. He also brought back the 4-2-3-1 system and gave Kobbie Mainoo a more prominent role. United’s improvement continued throughout the second half of the campaign, during which they accumulated more league points than any other Premier League side.

The dramatic improvement saw United climb to third in the final standings and secure a return to the Champions League. Carrick was initially expected to remain in the dugout only until the end of the season, but his impact prompted the club to consider making his position permanent. Those talks eventually resulted in Carrick signing a two-year contract on May 22.

His second full season, however, has begun in a less convincing fashion. United entered the October international break in 12th place in the Premier League, having recorded just one win, two draws, and two defeats in their opening five matches, despite facing what appeared to be a relatively manageable early fixture list.

All reports indicate that INEOS believe Michael Carrick has enough credit in the bank and will give the former United midfielder time and a chance to turn things around. However, if results don't improve and INEOS starts looking elsewhere for its next head coach, Antonio Conte could emerge as a candidate, especially after a recent interview in which he said he wants to resurrect a fallen giant.

Speaking with The Athletic, the Italian manager said, "If you go to a club where the history speaks for itself - a history made up of trophies, league titles and victories - you can only honour that history in one way: by having the ambition to bring that club back, if it isn't there today, to fight for those goals.

"I know full well that only one team can win every year, but I must carry in my heart, and instil in the hearts of the fans, my players and my directors, that spark, that hope that makes you say, "f***, we can win". You only make history by winning.

"There are many clubs that have somewhat lost sight of their history. I'd like to go to one of these clubs to dust off that history and make it shine once more.

"Clubs where there's pressure, where, ultimately, you know full well that you're not going there just to take part, but to compete."

Once Manchester United return from the international break, Michael Carrick's side will face six fixtures over three weeks, in what could prove a crucial 21 days for Carrick as he looks to get United's season back on track.

The Italian was linked with the United job after Rúben Amorim's dismissal, and is currently out of a job after leaving Napoli during the summer. The 57-year-old led Napoli to the Serie A title in the 2024-25 season, before leading them to a second-place finish last season.

Manchester United have experimented with various head coaches and gone through several 'project' managers in recent seasons, without seeing any of them through, so United may have to bite the bullet and appoint a ready-made winner to finally end their title drought.

Conte took over a struggling Chelsea team and won the league in his first season there, then enjoyed extensive success at Juventus and Inter Milan, and guided Napoli to their fourth-ever Serie A title.

While United fans may look at Conte's preferred three-at-the-back system with dismay after the experiment failed under Amorim, the Italian is more open to adapting his setup to the players at his disposal, as when he switched to a 4-3-3 to fit Scott McTominay at Napoli.

Conte enjoyed huge success with Juventus as both a player and a manager, winning five Serie A titles during his playing days and guiding his side to three consecutive league titles during his three-year spell managing in Turin.

When the Italian states that he's looking to take over a fallen giant, it's hard to look past either Manchester United or Juventus, with both sides struggling in the past decade, and the two sides have both had mixed starts to the season, with United and Juventus sitting 12th and 7th, respectively.