INEOS have identified the two best candidates to replace Michael Carrick, but there is a catch | OneFootball

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Another season, a new permanent manager in place, and once again, Manchester United have started in disastrous fashion.

Michael Carrick was handed the permanent reins after he successfully guided the club back to the Champions League courtesy of a third-place finish last season.

Not even the most optimistic fan would have expected such a fantastic second half of the season, considering the team’s struggles under former head coach Ruben Amorim.

The squad seemed to buy into the former United midfielder‘s ideas, and great things were expected this term. It started badly as INEOS let all that momentum fizzle out by hardly backing Michael Carrick in the summer.

Carrick under pressure

As a result, the Red Devils have ended up winning only two games out of seven so far, while getting knocked out of the Carabao Cup at the first time of asking.

Carrick’s methods are also to blame, as the statistics have shown, with the 20-time English league champions struggling fitness-wise.

Naturally, the pressure is piling on the 45-year-old, with Football Fancast revealing that INEOS will only sack the head coach if one of their two top targets becomes available.

And who are these two? The first is Fabian Hurzeler of Brighton & Hove Albion and the other is Kieran McKenna, formerly of Ipswich Town.

Hurzeler or McKenna?

It was the German who knocked the Old Trafford side out of the cup. He has been a revelation since taking over the Seagulls, guiding them to back-to-back eighth-place finishes, with the team set to play in the Conference League this season.

However, as Football Insider have noted, getting Hurzeler out of Brighton would be a tall task, with the team from the Amex set to demand a huge payoff to let their manager go.

“Manchester United have been warned it will take a big fee to lure Fabian Hurzeler away from Brighton, sources have told Football Insider. The boss signed a new deal at the Amex during the summer to extend his stay until 2029, likely adding to the finances involved to lure him away from the club in the near future.

“The fee to release the 33-year-old from his new contract could even edge closer to £15 million, which is likely to be a deterrent for Man United or his other suitors.”

Problems galore

United know McKenna well, with the 40-year-old working as an assistant manager to both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

His stats at Portman Road reflect his great work as the Tractor Boys earned three promotions in four seasons and are back in the Premier League thanks to him.

The London-born coach worked in tandem with Carrick during the Norwegian’s tenure. Which is why, he is not ready to take over if Carrick gets sacked mid-season. But if an opportunity opens up in the summer, he is game as he considers United the dream job.

“The second name is Kieran McKenna. The former United Under-18s coach stepped down as Ipswich manager in June, choosing to take a break from football to spend more time with his family.

INEOS need to take a call and soon

“Football FanCast revealed this week that McKenna is open to a return to Old Trafford, but isn’t in a rush to come back and will only do so for the perfect opportunity, with the 40 year-old unlikely to see replacing a sacked manager in the middle of the season as that chance.”

INEOS opted not to pull the plug during the September international break. But if results do not improve once the action resumes, Carrick’s position might become untenable ahead of the November break.