Manchester United suffered a 4-1 defeat to Como in the Champions League on Wednesday night, extending the club's winless run to seven games in all competitions.

Michael Carrick built a very good foundation last season after taking over in January, but United's performances this season have been significantly worse. United have been disorganised out of possession, both in the mid-block and in the high press, and in possession, they lack ideas and clarity on the ball.

United have also lacked intensity in their performances throughout the season, raising questions over the fitness of the players.

While Carrick remains in a job at the moment, various reports suggest Sunday's game against Bournemouth will be decisive for the United head coach as pressure continues to rapidly grow.

Brighton and Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler has been linked to the United job, should Carrick be dismissed. Hurzeler is said to have admirers within the Old Trafford hierarchy.

According to talkSPORT, while Hurzeler is admired by United, the German manager is not interested in taking over at Old Trafford.

The report claims that United have also sounded out Julian Nagelsmann as a potential replacement for Carrick.

Unai Emery was part of United's recruitment process in the summer before giving Carrick the permanent job. However, he would likely need convincing to leave Aston Villa, the report from talkSPORT says.

In addition to Nagelsmann and Hurzeler, United have three other managers on their shortlist to replace Carrick, should he indeed depart Old Trafford in the coming weeks.

According to the Daily Mail, United's shortlist currently includes Hurzeler, Nagelsmann, Eddie Howe, Kieran McKenna and Antonio Conte.

As mentioned, Hurzeler is said to not be keen on moving to United, and various reports also claim that he has no release clause in his current contract, which means Brighton would be able to demand a sizeable fee for his services.

Conte is available. He has been regularly linked to United over the years and is currently without a club after leaving Napoli. Various reports claim, however, that some people at United have reservations about the Italian manager.

McKenna has been out of work since leaving Ipswich Town in the summer following the club's promotion to the Premier League. McKenna previously worked at United as one of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's assistants and attracted interest from Old Trafford in the summer of 2024 when the club were assessing potential replacements for Erik ten Hag, before ultimately deciding to keep the Dutchman.

Howe left Newcastle United in the summer and was reportedly a name put forward by Dan Ashworth, United's director of football at the time, as a potential option to take over at the club following the sacking of Ten Hag. United, at the time, instead opted to appoint Ruben Amorim.