How a new manager could SAVE Man Utd with Howe, Conte and Nagelsmann circling as Carrick stares down barrel at sack

MANCHESTER UNITED are in total disarray under Michael Carrick following another tactical disaster in their 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth. The Red Devils hierarchy, led by Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada, face a monumental decision with Carrick staring down the barrel of the sack. SunSport’s tactical expert Dean Scoggins broke down the candidates on Tactics Exposed to see who could step in and save United’s season. Former Bournemouth and Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has emerged as the leading contender to take over after catching the eye of director of football Jason Wilcox. Dean said: “Start with the favourite, which is Eddie Howe. “He’s climbed the ladder in English football. He’s intense. He goes into details. READ MORE ON MAN UTD “He does favour a similar setup to what United have been playing under Michael Carrick. That becomes more of a 3-2-5 shape. “Where I struggle with it, with Eddie Howe, in this intensity, high press, is the full-backs. Have they got the full-backs there to do it straight away? We’re two months out of a transfer window. “He will drop a team into a very, very compact 4-5-1 shape off the ball. And from there, you can then counterattack. “He’s got to come in there and get a team singing from the same sheet that currently isn’t. Most read in Sport SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS “At the moment, you need a safer pair of hands. He’ll come with a plan. He’ll galvanise some of those players. They won’t go down under Eddie Howe.” United could also opt for an alternative approach with ex-Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, with his trademark back-three system demanding an instant tactical overhaul. Dean added: “Eddie Howe might put out the fire. Antonio Conte is going to start a fire. “This is not vibes. This is not freestyling. This is automatic tactical change. He makes the players suffer and they have to suffer to play in his system. But wherever he goes, it’s success. “And this is what will put off Manchester United fans. It’s the back three and it’s wing backs. “Are Manchester United going to go down that route? He’s not got time like he had with Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses to turn people into that. “Conte is too big a risk and is extremely combustible. And it could be another Mourinho or Conte at Tottenham scenario.” Former Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann offers a long-term coaching project that could unlock the squad’s attacking potential. Head of recruitment Christopher Vivell is a huge believer in Nagelsmann’s tactical pedigree, making the German another interesting option. Dean said: “He’s the intriguing one of the group. “He pushes into that 3-1-6 in attack. He was a prodigy when he first came through. Everybody knows he’s extremely tactically astute. “Nagelsmann likes to overload that central area. So it’s fast balls in there and then little interchanges around that area. “He likes crossing over wingers who are high and attackers who pin full backs over on one side. That would absolutely suit a Manchester United style of play as well. “It just feels like there’s got to be so much that has got to change within different player roles. And this would be sort of an evolution under someone like Nagelsmann. “Is he going to come into Manchester United and get that supreme tactical discipline that he demands from those players? We saw him fall out with Neuer and Kimmich at Bayern Munich. “Love him tactically, love the shape. But is Manchester United the place to be for that at the moment?”