Next Man United manager: How Eddie Howe compares to Michael Carrick amid sack talk

Michael Carrick’s reign astatine Manchester United has ne'er been nether greater uncertainty, with the 45-year-old facing mounting scrutiny aft a torrid commencement to his archetypal afloat play astatine the helm.

Winless successful their past 8 games crossed each competitions, United suffered a humiliating 3-0 decision to Bournemouth connected Sunday, coming 4 days aft a 4-1 Champions League thrashing astatine Como and leaving the 20-time English champions 16th successful the Premier League table.

The Red Devils are a acold outcry from the broadside Carrick led to 3rd spot successful 2025-26, having taken implicit arsenic interim brag successful January, astir 5 years aft his unbeaten three-game caretaker stint, with his imperishable tenure marked by turbulence this term.

Eddie Howe has been reported arsenic a apt replacement, with the erstwhile Newcastle United brag without a nine since leaving St James’ Park this summer.

With that successful mind, Sports Mole compares some managers successful presumption of experience, playing styles, Premier League record, all-competition statistic and honours.

Next Man United manager: Eddie Howe vs Michael Carrick: Years of experience

Howe is the acold much seasoned of the two, having archetypal taken complaint of Bournemouth arsenic caretaker manager successful December 2008 astatine the property of 31 and spent the champion portion of 18 years successful absorption since.

Across spells with Bournemouth, Burnley and Newcastle United, the 48-year-old had taken complaint of 776 matches by the extremity of past season.

That includes 369 Premier League games crossed 10 top-flight campaigns with the Cherries and Magpies, positive a Champions League tally successful 2023-24 successful which Newcastle bushed PSG 4-1 but finished bottommost of their group.

Carrick, by contrast, took his archetypal imperishable managerial occupation astatine Middlesbrough successful October 2022, astir a twelvemonth aft a three-game caretaker spell astatine United and pursuing clip connected the coaching staffs of José Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The erstwhile midfielder has managed 168 matches crossed his full career, 136 astatine Middlesbrough and 32 crossed 2 spells astatine United, meaning Howe has taken complaint of astir 4.6 times arsenic galore games.

Howe’s mean spell arsenic a manager lasts 4.08 years compared with Carrick’s 1.28, highlighting the gulf successful longevity contempt an property spread of little than 4 years.

Next Man United manager: Eddie Howe vs Michael Carrick: Playing styles

Howe is regarded arsenic a tactically flexible manager who prefers a 4-3-3 successful possession, shifting to a 4-5-1 retired of possession, with a dense accent connected pressing and speedy turnovers.

The 48-year-old’s attack has been shaped by Jurgen Klopp, Johan Cruyff and Diego Simeone, portion his man-management is influenced by American hoops manager John Wooden.

Howe has besides shown adaptability, utilizing 3-4-2-1 and 4-4-2 shapes done injuries successful 2023-24, a play that inactive brought Newcastle’s highest-scoring Premier League run with 85 goals.

Carrick, a composed midfield controller during his playing days, prefers a 4-2-3-1 system, with his Middlesbrough broadside scoring 13 goals successful 4 matches successful March 2023 connected their mode to a fourth-placed finish.

At United, his attack relied connected quick, free-flowing counter-attacks, supported by a compact antiaircraft operation that could sorb unit without the ball, portion restoring Bruno Fernandes to his earthy fig 10 relation besides played a cardinal portion successful the team's resurgence successful 2025-26.

Next Man United manager: Eddie Howe vs Michael Carrick: Premier League stats

Carrick has collected 50 points from 27 Premier League matches arsenic a manager, winning 14, drafting 8 and losing 5 for an mean of 1.85 points per game.

The 45-year-old’s 2025-26 spell was the precocious point, with United taking 39 points from 17 league games, winning 12, drafting 3 and losing 2 to decorativeness 3rd and gain a Manager of the Season nomination.

This play has been the opposite, with 1 win, 4 draws and 3 defeats from 8 league games, leaving United with an mean of 0.88 per game.

Howe has overseen 369 Premier League matches, winning 140, drafting 81 and losing 148 for 501 points and an mean of 1.36 per game.

The 48-year-old’s highest came astatine Newcastle, wherever helium finished 4th with 71 points successful 2022-23 and secured Champions League shot again successful 2024-25, earlier slipping to 12th with 49 points successful his last campaign.

Carrick’s triumph complaint of 51.9% comfortably beats Howe’s 37.9%, though the illustration size is tiny compared to the erstwhile Magpies boss’ 369 games, which see relegation with Bournemouth successful 2019-20.

Both managers' lone erstwhile gathering besides came successful the Premier League successful March, erstwhile William Osula struck precocious to unafraid triumph for 10-man Newcastle astatine St James' Park, marking Carrick's archetypal decision arsenic United's interim boss.

Next Man United manager: Eddie Howe vs Michael Carrick: All-competition stats and triumph rates

Across his full managerial career, which includes Middlesbrough and 2 spells astatine United, Carrick has won 79 of his 168 matches successful each competitions, drafting 32 and losing 57, for an wide triumph complaint of 47.0%.

Howe has won 340 of his 776 matches crossed his career, drafting 162 and losing 274, which equates to a triumph complaint of 43.8% by the extremity of past season.

At Middlesbrough, Carrick won 46.3% of his 136 games, portion his clip astatine United since returning successful January, some arsenic interim and imperishable boss, stands astatine 14 wins, 7 draws and 8 defeats from 29 matches, a 48.3% triumph rate.

Howe’s champion returns came astatine Newcastle, wherever helium won 112 of 231 games for a 48.5% triumph rate, marginally up of Carrick’s wide mark, portion his archetypal Bournemouth spell yielded precisely 50.0% from 102 matches.

The 48-year-old’s wide fig is dragged down by a 39.1% triumph complaint successful 87 games astatine Burnley and 40.2% crossed 356 matches successful his 2nd spell astatine Bournemouth.

Next Man United manager: Eddie Howe vs Michael Carrick: Honours

Howe’s biggest honour came with Newcastle successful 2024-25, erstwhile helium led the Magpies to EFL Cup glory by beating Liverpool successful the final, ending a 56-year hold for a large trophy, with the triumph coming 2 years aft losing the last to Man United.

At Bournemouth, helium won promotion from League Two and League One arsenic runner-up earlier lifting the Championship rubric successful 2014-15, taking the Cherries into the Premier League for the archetypal time.

Howe was named LMA Manager of the Year successful 2015, received the Football League Manager of the Decade award, and has won 5 Premier League Manager of the Month awards.

Carrick has nary large silverware arsenic a manager, with his idiosyncratic accolades constricted to EFL Championship Manager of the Month successful March 2023 and Premier League Manager of the Month successful January 2026.

The 45-year-old’s champion results see a play-off semi-final and an EFL Cup semi-final astatine Middlesbrough and a third-placed decorativeness astatine United, though his 5 Premier League titles and Champions League triumph arsenic a subordinate transportation the biggest weight.