Manchester United Choose Stability, Stand By Carrick
United's hierarchy has ruled out an in-season change despite one win from five league games, distancing the club from reported interest in Antonio Conte.
FanPesa Editorial · 21 September 2026 · 5 min read
5 min read
Manchester United have decided against making an in-season change at the top, with the club's hierarchy choosing to back Michael Carrick despite a difficult opening to the Premier League season.
A results record that reads worse than it feels
United have collected just five points from five league matches, a total that would ordinarily put any manager under serious pressure. A midweek League Cup exit to Brighton and a derby defeat to Manchester City added to the unease, before a stoppage-time Matheus Cunha goal salvaged a 1-1 draw at Fulham.
Even so, sources close to the club describe an ownership group that views the turbulence around Old Trafford as largely structural rather than something that sits at Carrick's door.
Where Antonio Conte fits in
Speculation linking United to Antonio Conte, a free agent since leaving Napoli, has circulated in Italian media for weeks. United have moved to shut that down, with reports indicating no contact has been made with Conte or any other candidate.
- Conte is reportedly waiting for the 'right project' before committing to his next job.
- United qualified for this season's Champions League and had been expected to challenge nearer the top of the table.
- The club's next assignment offers an immediate chance to arrest the slide once the international break ends.
Patience, for now, is the strategy. Whether that holds depends on how United respond when domestic football resumes.
