Man Utd Next Manager Odds: 21 Favourites to Replace Michael Carrick

· GiveMeSport

The 21 favourites to succeed Michael Carrick as Manchester United's next permanent manager have been revealed.

Manchester United appeared to have finally found the man capable of steering the ship when they appointed Michael Carrick on an interim basis back in January. Vast improvements were made off the back of Ruben Amorim's tumultuous reign, with no manager winning more Premier League points than the retired midfielder from his appointment until the end of the campaign.

The feel-good factor was well and truly back at Old Trafford, and the United hierarchy had no choice but to appoint him on a long-term basis after securing a return to Champions League football against all odds. However, now that the honeymoon period is over, things have once again looked dire at the start of the 2026/27 term.

Was Carrick a one-hit wonder? His sophomore album has seen him lead the Red Devils to just two wins from their first six matches of the new season, with the latest low points seeing them lose 1-0 at home to Manchester City, who were down to 10 men after just 23 minutes.

United subsequently threw away a 2-0 half-time lead at home against Brighton, losing 3-2 in the Carabao Cup and suffering the ignominy of becoming the first United side in 50 years to lose a home match after leading by two goals at half-time. As a result, pressure is mounting on Carrick, and Bettingodds have revealed the 21 managers who could replace him if things get worse.

At odds of 80/1, it looks unlikely that United will advance on skepticism around the possibility of Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni making the switch to Old Trafford. Also at those odds are the unpredictable Ange Postecoglou and David Moyes, who was tipped by Sir Alex Ferguson to be the perfect fit upon his retirement in 2013, but ultimately struggled to keep the good times rolling.

The United job has often been cited as the 'most stressful job in football', and Ralf Rangnick will know about that all too well from his own time as interim boss in the 2021/22 campaign. He surely won't ever consider another bite of the cherry, given that he left the club back then having voiced a few concerns about the club's hierarchy that made his life far too difficult , despite some successes.

Yet, he has been given odds of 66/1, alongside Roberto Mancini, to try steadying a sinking ship again. They rank just behind the likes of young German tactician Sebastian Hoeness, as well as Diego Simeone. The Atletico Madrid boss is the highest-paid manager in world football , though, and his defence-first mentality wouldn't sit right with a majority of United fans.

Favourites to replace Michael Carrick – 21-15

- 21. David Moyes - Everton - 80/1 - 20. Ange Postecoglou - Al-Nassr - 80/1 - 19. Lionel Scaloni - Argentina - 80/1 - 18. Ralf Rangnick - Austria - 66/1 - 17. Roberto Mancini - Italy - 66/1 - 16. Diego Simeone - Atletico Madrid - 50/1 - 15. Sebastian Hoeness - VfB Stuttgart - 50/1

Daniel Farke has done a tremendous job at Leeds United. He's won the Championship with them, survived relegation from the Premier League, and now looks to be moving up the table this term, but he would be a massive risk given he's never managed a club of United's size.

Meanwhile, Brendan Rodgers has longed for a return to English football and also has odds of 50/1 when it comes to taking charge of his former club Liverpool's rivals.

Luis Enrique has won back-to-back Champions League titles with PSG , and he continues to mop up domestic silverware as though he could do it with his eyes closed. His current job isn't exactly the most challenging, given the money he's been given to spend in the transfer market alongside the super team he already has, and so proving he can do what no manager has ever done by turning United's post-Fergie fortunes around could be a compelling prospect.

United have admired Mauricio Pochettino for a while, and the USA boss has odds of 33/1, while Fabian Hurzeler - the man who led Brighton to a shock victory in Carrick's side's latest low point - is backed at 25/1. That's the same as former player and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was keen on the interim role back in January but was beaten to the job.

Man Utd's manager for first game of 2026/27 campaign – 14-8

- 14. Daniel Farke - Leeds United - 50/1 - 13. Brendan Rodgers - Al Qadsiah - 50/1 - 12. Luis Enrique - PSG - 33/1 - 11. Mauricio Pochettino - USA - 25/1 - 10. Fabian Hurzeler - Brighton & Hove Albion - 25/1 - 9. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - Unattached - 25/1 - 8. Carlo Ancelotti - Brazil - 20/1

In seventh, with odds of 20/1, is Darren Fletcher, who is currently the head coach of the club's under-18s side. His appointment would surely be a temporary stop-gap while the hierarchy searches for someone else, as the club can't afford to keep relying on former players to get them back to where they belong. Perhaps his hire would eventually lead to Gareth Southgate, at 14/1, finally being given the keys.

The England icon became renowned for how well he could put a team together and build a winning culture with the Three Lions. Club football is a whole different ball game, though, and maybe it would be worth United looking towards another former interest in Kieran McKenna, who is now unattached after rejecting the club back when he was Ipswich Town boss.

In fourth, Antonio Conte is one of the best managers in the world . And with a knack for getting instant success at the likes of Chelsea and Napoli, he could make any sort of transition period feel easy. He just misses out on the podium to current Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel, with Julen Lopetegui a surprise second-favourite.

The runaway favourite, at odds of just 15/8, though, is Eddie Howe . He recently stepped down from his role at Newcastle, and any advancement would surely be made easier by the assumption that the Englishman is ready for an instant return to football management.

Man Utd's manager for first game of 2026/27 campaign – 7-1

- 7. Darren Fletcher - Man Utd U18s - 20/1 - 6. Gareth Southgate - Unattached - 14/1 - 5. Kieran McKenna - Unattached - 14/1 - 4. Antonio Conte - Napoli - 10/1 - 3. Thomas Tuchel - England - 9/2 - 2. Julen Lopetegui - Qatar - 7/2 - 1. Eddie Howe - Unattached - 15/8

All betting odds per Bettingodds – correct as of 17/09/2026.

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