Man United crisis: Carrick and Wilcox face sack, Conte emerges as candidate

Manchester United are facing one of their most chaotic weeks since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. Michael Carrick's side have won only 2 of 7 matches in the 2026/27 season. In the Premier League, they have won 1 of 5 opening rounds and dropped to 12th place. More concerning is the performance: slow, lacking speed, lacking precision and almost no coherent attacking pattern. The atmosphere at Old Trafford is so tense that the board can no longer look away. According to a source close to Manchester United, the Old Trafford hierarchy held an emergency meeting on September 22. The main topic was the coaching staff. Club officials believe someone must take responsibility for the current situation and change is necessary. One of the two names will go: Jason Wilcox, football director, or Michael Carrick, first-team manager. If necessary, both could be replaced. A final decision is expected at 22:00 local time on September 21, which is around 4am on September 22 in Vietnam. This detail matters because it dismisses the assumption that United would wait for the international break to act. In many seasons, clubs use the international window to replace managers because there is more time to prepare. But here, the emergency meeting happened quickly and contact with a new manager was reported at the same time. That shows how serious the crisis is. Looking at the data, it is not hard to understand why Carrick is under pressure. United have only 2 wins in 7 matches this season. In the Premier League, they have won just 1 match, meaning they have already fallen far behind the leading group. One match is only a story. Five hundred matches are the law. But a run of 7 matches with the same stagnant performance is enough for the board to ask serious questions. The problem is not only about results. Statistics show United control the ball reasonably well, but their attacking organisation is fragmented. They lack the final decisive pass, they lack speed in transition and the defence is often stretched. Carrick wants to build a controlling team, but that does not happen overnight. With many new players and injuries, imposing a philosophy becomes even harder. However, top-level football waits for nobody. United's board must consider the cost of sacking Carrick. According to reported figures, United would spend around 7.2 to 8.8 million pounds to compensate the manager. That is not huge compared to the club's revenue, but it is still a significant loss in a volatile season. Meanwhile, Antonio Conte appears as a replacement option. Journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed United have contacted the Italian coach. Conte is still unemployed after leaving Napoli, and he has enough experience and strong personality to take charge of a big club. He won the Premier League with Chelsea, which makes him an attractive candidate for those who want an immediate change. From the perspective of someone who has followed football for decades, I believe this is the time to be careful. I once got one sentence wrong, and lost credibility. I wish I had known this back then. United do not lack money or names. They lack a consistent plan. If a new manager is appointed in a rush, the club may simply repeat the old cycle. Antonio Conte is a good coach. He won at Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan. But this type of manager demands huge investment and total control. If United only want someone to put out the fire without changing the structure above, the risk of failure remains. Wilcox may lose his job, Carrick may leave, but if the club's operating culture does not change, it is only a change of the hot seat. This is the moment to separate fan emotion from the strategy of a sports organisation. Supporters have the right to be angry when the team sit 12th. They have the right to demand a big-name manager. But a shocking decision is not reckless if it is built on five hundred foundations. The question is whether United's board are building on those foundations, or just reacting to media pressure. Jason Wilcox was brought in to shape the sporting strategy. Michael Carrick was given the chance to build a playing style. Both represent the long-term direction. Now, if both are pushed out the back door, United will prove they have not escaped their old way of working. That old way has caused many managers to fail at Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. No one can deny that Carrick is facing a difficult problem. Taking charge of Manchester United has never been easy. But replacing the manager is not a silver bullet. No miracle will happen after one week of work. If Conte arrives, he will need time, new signings and absolute support. Are the board ready to give him that? Are they ready to be patient with a famous and demanding coach? I still remember how United hurriedly sacked David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and then Erik ten Hag. Every time they changed the manager, they expected a new wind. But the core problem is not the manager; it is the way the club operates. The recruitment team changes constantly, the transfer policy is inconsistent, and the pressure of the global brand makes every decision rushed. In that context, United's contact with Conte is an interesting signal. If it happens, United will have a strong character who is not afraid of the dressing room and knows how to organise the defence. Conte could improve the team immediately through tactical discipline. But in the long run, he usually stays no more than two seasons. So is this a stop-gap solution or a strategic move? Carrick is criticised for poor results, but he is the one working with a squad in transition. Wilcox is responsible for the signings, but he cannot go out and play instead of the players. When a collective fails, the easiest way is to blame one person. Whether that is fair or not is another matter. Modern football demands consistency in data and decisions. I do not make conclusions based on memory or feelings. I only look at the numbers: 2 wins in 7 matches, 1 win in 5 Premier League rounds, 12th place. Those numbers say United are worse than expected. But they do not say Carrick is incompetent, nor do they say Conte will certainly succeed. The story at Old Trafford will have an answer within the next 48 hours. If Carrick is sacked, United will have to pay between 7.2 and 8.8 million pounds in compensation. If Wilcox leaves, the long-term transfer plan will be broken. If both leave, the club almost enters a new whirlwind. Then the question is no longer who will come, but whether United understand their own lesson. For someone like me, the scariest thing is not a wrong decision. The scariest thing is repeating the same vicious cycle without learning anything. United have changed many managers since Sir Alex Ferguson. They have spent huge money in the transfer market. But they are still here, 12th and preparing to change manager again. That suggests the problem lies deeper, where a famous manager or a new football director cannot solve it overnight. Leaving Old Trafford, Carrick may never get another chance to manage such a big club. But maybe that is good for him. Conte, if he comes, will step into a hot seat. And that seat will remain hot until United change the way they view power, data and responsibility. Football does not need saviours. Football needs people willing to take responsibility and a system willing to trust the plan.