Manchester United endured another humiliating afternoon on Sunday, falling 3-0 to Bournemouth in the Premier League. The disappointing result has intensified pressure on Michael Carrick, whose position as head coach is now in serious doubt.

Following their damaging 4-1 defeat to Como in midweek, United were expected to respond with a determined performance in front of their home supporters at Old Trafford. However, those hopes quickly faded as Bournemouth took control, exposing further weaknesses in a United side struggling to find consistency.

The latest setback adds to a disastrous start to the 2026/27 season for the Red Devils. With only two wins from 12 competitive matches across all competitions, United have slipped to 16th in the Premier League, raising growing concerns about the club's direction and its ability to turn things around.

Carrick is under mounting scrutiny, and confidence in his leadership is diminishing after a string of disappointing performances. The club may soon be forced to consider a change in the dugout if results don't improve, especially as supporters grow increasingly frustrated by the team's lack of progress.

Manchester United face a tough run of fixtures, including Chelsea, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Roma in the Champions League, and the club could turn to a different head coach to help navigate them, as a replacement for Carrick seems inevitable.

Despite showing faith in Michael Carrick in recent weeks, reports indicated that INEOS had been preparing a contingency plan to appoint a new head coach if performances did not improve.

United's shortlist reportedly includes Julian Nagelsmann, Eddie Howe, Kieran McKenna, Antonio Conte, and Fabian Hurzeler, though the latter is reportedly not interested in the job after enjoying a fantastic start to the season with Brighton.

Despite not being on the shortlist, Unai Emery still had admirers within the club and was part of United's recruitment process in the summer before they appointed Carrick permanently.

The Spanish boss isn't short of praise from the wider football community, with Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher urging Manchester United to target the Aston Villa boss. Speaking on Sky Sports, he said, “He is a manager I look at when I think about Manchester United.

“I think Emery is the best manager in the Premier League.

“But I’ve got this thing with him.

“Yes, his record in the Europa League is amazing, but surely somebody who is that successful wants to be known in the Champions League.

“He wants to win the Champions League.

“He’s not going to do that at Aston Villa.

“He’s had two experiences that haven’t gone particularly well for him, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.

“And I just think surely he would want that opportunity to prove himself at an absolute giant of a football club.

“Sorry, Villa fans.”

While Unai Emery would certainly be a fantastic appointment at Manchester United, a previous report indicated that Aston Villa would demand around £20 million in compensation to bring him to Manchester, which the club are not willing to do.

Therefore, Eddie Howe could be the main man the club targets, despite Antonio Conte's previous claim that he wanted to resurrect a fallen giant. Juventus have struggled in recent years, so it seems more likely the former Juventus boss could return to his old club, while Howe's extensive Premier League experience is a major plus.

He also has a couple of seasons of Champions League experience from his time at Newcastle and deserves a chance to manage a top side, though it remains to be seen whether he can handle the pressure.

The English manager has overseen 369 Premier League fixtures, and his project-building abilities should be seen as a major positive, taking a League Two Bournemouth side all the way to the Premier League.