Another day, another head hunt at Manchester United ft. Carrick

CHENNAI: Before he even realises, Michael Carrick’s time at Manchester United could have already ended. And, when it does, he will be the latest name in a long line of managerial casualties at one of Premier League’s most successful clubs.

Since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure in 2013, United has gone through managers at an alarming rate, and it all started with David Moyes. But seven managers down, even club legend, Michael Carrick has failed to seemingly fill that Ferguson-sized void.

Just months into his full-time tenure, the 45-year-old finds himself worrying less about the potential January transfer window, and more about whether he will still be in the dugout. Yet, that hasn’t stopped him from reporting to the Carrington training ground as speculation over his future gathers steam.

Carrick isn’t the first, and as history has suggested, he isn’t the last either. Like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and several other former United greats, he could soon find himself walking out of the club without knowing what comes next. While the 45-year-old might be the immediate casualty, the frustration of the supporters extends well beyond the men in the dugout.

The latest name on United's managerial wishlist is also one of the oldest names on the block: Mauricio Pochettino. As the BBC reported, the Argentine's association with the club goes nearly a decade back, when Ferguson was spotted meeting him at a restaurant in Mayfair, almost three years into his retirement.

Since then, Pochettino has featured more times on United’s wishlist than Leonardo DiCaprio has featured in the Oscars shortlist for Best Actor — in 2016, 2018, 2022, 2024 and now 2026. It has made him one of the most persistent names in United’s long-standing managerial conversation.

Pochettino, who has previously managed Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea in the Premier League, took charge of the United States national team in October 2024 and led it to the round of 16 at this year's World Cup. However, his English trophy cabinet still remains empty. He finished as a runner-up in the EFL Cup with Chelsea in the 2023-24 season and guided Tottenham to the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League final, where they lost to Liverpool. He did, however, win Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain in 2022.

With the Argentine once again firmly in the frame, the question is where does this potential appointment stand among United’s decisions over the past decade? Unlike previous high-profile appointments like Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, he has no previous association with the club nor does he bring the same kind of pedigree of winning major trophies.

Yet, his work at Tottenham, where he built a competitive side capable of challenging for honours, makes him an intriguing candidate.

United are 18th and staring at a crisis that goes well beyond the men on the touchline. Pochettino might finally get his long-awaited opportunity at Old Trafford, but the bigger question is whether he can succeed where so many before him have failed. A decade after first entering United's managerial conversation, the Argentine could finally get his call. But whether he is the answer, only time will tell.