"No contacts; second, no direct talks," Fabrizio Romano said on TeamTalk, and that remains the public line around Manchester United's manager. The club are still backing Michael Carrick, but one win from six league games, 13th place and a 2-0 Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid have kept the pressure high.
Carrick's position after another poor run
United have lost four of their opening nine outings, which is why the speculation keeps circling back. Paul Scholes, speaking to Goal, even wondered aloud whether Carrick is already thinking about the exit, while Romano says the club are not negotiating with any other coach and are still trusting him.
The problem is the schedule does not give the story time to calm down. United go to Leeds United on Sunday, then travel to Como before Bournemouth visit Old Trafford.
Conte and Hurzeler in the conversation
Antonio Conte is part of the noise because Romano says he would be open to a mid-season job, and Conte himself has talked about wanting a big club with pressure and history. He has been unattached since leaving Napoli in the summer after winning Serie A in his debut campaign, and he also lifted the Premier League trophy and FA Cup during his spell at Chelsea.
Fabian Hurzeler is there for a different reason. Romano said one person in United's board really appreciates him, and that other names are also being discussed internally. Hurzeler is 33, took over at Brighton in June 2024, and has them third in the Premier League after six games with four wins and a victory over Arsenal this season.
That is why the backing for Carrick feels so fragile. United can say there are no direct talks, and Romano is clear on that, but the results and the names being linked are moving in different directions.
United's trip to Leeds on Sunday is the next test, with Como away and Bournemouth at home after that.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
