Mauricio Pochettino has surged into favouritism to replace under-fire Manchester United manager Michael Carrick following a wave of overnight betting.
United sit 16th in the Premier League table. The club’s hierarchy scheduled high-level meetings at Carrington to discuss whether to sack or back the struggling 45-year-old.
Wild finish against Villa
The pressure on Carrick mounted following a 4-4 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday, where United came from 2-0 and 4-2 down.
Earlier in the week, United secured a 3-2 victory over AS Roma in the Champions League, courtesy of a Bruno Fernandes penalty and a Matheus Cunha brace. That European win offered only temporary relief during a difficult campaign that saw United go eight matches without a victory before facing Chelsea, following a 3-0 loss to Bournemouth that came close to costing the 45-year-old his job.
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Asked about his future and plans for the international break during his pre-match press conference, Carrick admitted he plans to carry on as absolute normal with training sessions next week. Discussing whether he needs the break to re-energise, the manager stated he is fine as he is, adding that he cannot wait for the matches despite the results.
Contenders in the market
Pochettino leads the betting at 5/2. The 54-year-old Argentine previously spent five years at Tottenham Hotspur between 2014 and 2019, reaching the 2014-15 EFL Cup final and the 2018-19 Champions League final while operating under a restricted transfer budget alongside stars like Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, and Son Heung-min, prior to subsequent spells at Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
Other candidates face various hurdles within the Old Trafford boardroom. Eddie Howe is priced at 3/1 and serves as the preferred candidate of director of football Jason Wilcox, though the former Newcastle manager is less highly regarded by Man Utd than other reports have suggested.
Julian Nagelsmann stands at 6/1 in the betting and is championed by director of recruitment Christopher Vivell, but his stock has dipped following his time with Bayern Munich and the Germany national team, alongside concerns over Nagelsmann’s relationship with players during his time with the national team
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π΄β«οΈ Mauricio Pochettino storms into overnight lead to become next Manchester United manager after a flurry of sizeable overnight stakes. Michael Carrick, meanwhile, has shared what he thinks will happen next https://t.co/t41sSwOXpp #ManUtd #MUFC
Antonio Conte and Didier Deschamps are both listed at 10/1. Conte brings league titles won across four different clubs and an intense edge, though doubts persist over whether the squad could cope with his demands.
Deschamps reportedly dismissed an approach as he remains reluctant to return to club management. Meanwhile, Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeness has emerged as a wildcard option at 25/1, viewed as another big gamble
, alongside Fabian Hurzeler at 33/1 and Unai Emery at 12/1.
