“He’s the only one” – Man Utd told to replace Carrick with ‘unbelievable’ 54-yr-old if they want to compete again

Manchester United have been urged to bring in Unai Emery if they end up parting ways with Michael Carrick.

The Red Devils are enduring a miserable start to the campaign, having only collected five points in as many Premier League fixtures. They have also crashed out of the Carabao Cup after wasting a two-goal lead against Brighton.

Therefore, Carrick now finds himself in hot water, with some reports claiming the hierarchy could wield the axe if the results don’t improve before the November international break.

Nigel Reo-Coker: Man Utd should appoint Unai Emery

(Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

While Carrick’s fate remains to be determined, fans and pundits are already speculating about the identity of the next Man Utd head coach.

Many believe Eddie Howe could be the favourite given his availability after leaving Newcastle in the summer, while others are enticed by the young Fabian Hurzeler, who’s delivering exciting football and positive results at Brighton.

But according to Nigel Reo Coker, United should puruse Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, who represents the ideal candidate for the role.

“If you are Manchester United, what you have to look is the bigger picture of what you want to be and where you want to get to,” said the former Wimbledon, West Ham, and Aston Villa midfielder during his appearance on CBS Sports Golazo (via SimplyUtd).

“You want to get back to regular Champions League football, you want to play attractive football, you want to compete.

“For me, you bring in Unai Emery. He’s the manager that takes you to that next level, in my opinion. I think Unai Emery is the only one out there who can go there.”

The Spaniard has been with the Villans since 2022, and he is tied to the club with a contract valid until June 2029.

Is Emery the right choice for United?

(Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

While he’s still 54, Emery has assembled vast experience all over Europe. He enjoyed successful spells in Spain, especially with Valencia, Sevilla and Villarreal.

He also collected a few trophies during his two years at Paris Saint-Germain between 2016 and 2018, before spending challenging 16 months at Arsenal.

Despite Aston Villa’s difficult start to the season, Emery was never truly on the chopping block, as his exploits in Birmingham over the past four years have earned him the trust of the management as well as the fanbase. Former Villa striker Ollie Watkins considered him an ‘unbelievable’ head coach.

(Emery’s career stats via Transfermarkt)

That being said, the Spaniard’s career trajectory depicts a manager who performs admirably with ambitious top-mid-table clubs but hasn’t really flourished at the elite level, particularly at PSG and Arsenal.

Although these two experiences occurred in the previous decade, there isn’t enough evidence to suggest that Emery can truly be the one to succeed where other Man Utd managers have failed, so identifying him as the ‘only one’ is slightly exaggerated.

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