While his departure was not immediate, Ruben Amorim’s fate was effectively sealed the moment Manchester United suffered an early exit from the Carabao Cup last term.
On that occasion, Grimsby Town defeated the Red Devils. Suffering another third-round departure from the tournament on Wednesday evening came as a severe setback for Michael Carrick, who is trying to disprove the notion that interim bosses should never be given the job on a full-time basis.
While dropping a cup tie to top-flight rivals is an occupational hazard, squandering a two-goal advantage on home turf against Brighton & Hove Albion without even reaching a penalty shootout was a painful outcome, especially following an underwhelming opening to their league run.
Odds for the next full-time Manchester United manager
With only a single victory from their opening four league matches, the Red Devils have experienced a sharp decline in form compared to the latter half of the previous season—a dip that inevitably invites criticism given the club’s massive summer expenditure on midfield reinforcements.
Both Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans were named in the starting lineup for the League Cup fixture at Old Trafford, yet they could do nothing to prevent United from letting a 2-0 lead slip into a 3-2 defeat. As a result, Carrick is likely steering clear of social media today.
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With betting agencies rapidly lowering the odds on Carrick being the first top-flight coach dismissed this year, speculation surrounding who might succeed him on a permanent basis at Old Trafford has reached fever pitch.
Aggregated data from multiple betting platforms positions ex-Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe as the frontrunner at 6/4—a domestic manager with extensive top-tier credentials, though his potential appointment would surely split opinion among the Old Trafford faithful.
Current Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel is priced at approximately 7/2, though the Football Association would insist he is locked in, despite his extensive club pedigree at major teams like Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich.
At odds of roughly 4/1 sits another tactician fresh from the international stage. Julian Nagelsmann departed his role with Germany after this summer’s World Cup and is currently unattached, though his appeal has cooled slightly after a disappointing tournament performance.
Meanwhile, Antonio Conte is valued at about 9/1, with unattached options Gareth Southgate and Kieran McKenna sitting further back at average odds of 15/1.
Heading the list of former United players is Darren Fletcher, who stands at 20/1 for those betting on him stepping up from his interim duties to secure the top job long-term.
Other names featured in the market include Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Gary Neville, and Wayne Rooney, alongside former Old Trafford bosses Ralf Rangnick, David Moyes, and Erik ten Hag, though all are considered massive longshots.
A few higher-profile alternatives carrying slightly more plausible odds include Carlo Ancelotti at 20/1, Fabian Hurzeler and Mauricio Pochettino both at 25/1, and Diego Simeone at 50/1.
