John Obi Mikel says Manchester United should look to prise ‘tactical genius’ Unai Emery away from Aston Villa if they decide to part ways with Michael Carrick.

There had been a sense of optimism amongst the Old Trafford faithful ahead of the new season after Carrick picked up the pieces from Ruben Amorim to steer United to a third-placed finish in the Premier League last term.

The club’s remarkable resurgence saw Carrick handed the role full-time in the summer, with the former England international putting pen to paper on a two-year contract.

But United’s campaign got off to a poor start as they were comfortably beaten by newly promoted Hull City and results have further spiralled in the intervening two months, leaving the Red Devils languishing down in 16th in the table.

A pair of losses to Atletico Madrid and Como in the Champions League – followed by public criticism from captain Bruno Fernandes – only intensified doubts over Carrick’s immediate future in the hot seat.

Sunday’s dismal 3-0 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth represented United’s eighth match without a win in all competitions and it appeared the writing was on the wall for a dejected-looking Carrick after the final whistle.

However, widespread reports indicate that the 45-year-old will be in the Stamford Bridge dugout for United’s trip to Chelsea in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off.

It’s understood Carrick will be given the opportunity to fight for his position and turn things around, despite incessant rumours linking the club with the likes of Eddie Howe, Antonio Conte, Julian Nagelsmann and Fabian Hurzeler.

‘The fans are not stupid. The come week in, week out, see what goes on, and they know exactly where the problem lies,’ ex-Chelsea midfielder Obi Mikel said of United’s desperate early-season struggles on The Obi One Podcast.

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‘Is Michael Carrick a top manager? No. Did he manage at the top level before getting the United job? No.

‘But we all knew that it was going to be a learning process. He did a wonderful job last season, got them back into the Champions League for the first time in a long time.

‘Collectively, these Manchester United players are not good enough. They were dreadful to watch, awful to watch. It was a disaster.’

Former Newcastle boss Howe is seen as the frontrunner to take over the reins should Carrick be relieved of his duties at the Theatre of Dreams, with Nagelsmann also believed to be in the running.

Obi Mikel believes United should look no further than Aston Villa head coach Emery, despite the Spaniard’s less-than-convincing 18-month spell in charge of Arsenal.

Asked if Howe or Nagelsmann would be his number one choice for United, Obi Mikel replied: ‘Neither. I would go for Unai Emery. I don’t think he leaves [Aston Villa] but listen, if you give him the f***ing keys.

‘If you give him an open chequebook and say: “Listen, Unai, we don’t want to go down this route anymore, we’re tired, the fans are sick and tired of what’s happening at the football club. We want to press the reset button and believe you are the man.”

‘We know it didn’t work out at Arsenal because, of course, when you’re coming in to take over the likes of Arsene Wenger, it’s hard and it’s difficult because of the success and the style of the football club.

‘The transition the football club was going through when he took over, it was hard to straightaway come in and get the team to play the way and absolutely stamp his authority.

‘It was difficult for him at Arsenal, we understand that, but then he learned and then he’s got to Villarreal and then came back to Aston Villa. What he’s done with this Aston Villa team is just absolutely superb.

‘It’s brilliant, it’s amazing to see what Unai Emery is doing season after season.’

Obi Mikel has been mightily impressed by Villa’s start to the season, especially considering Emery lost the ‘spine’ of his team in the summer transfer window.

‘The season where we thought Villa were going to struggle, probably in a relegation battle… they’ve let go of Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa, Emiliano Martinez, Ollie Watkins, he’s let the spine of the football club leave,’ the former Nigeria international added.

‘The success of that football club over the last four seasons was down to these players, the spine, the absolute spine of the football club, he let them go.

‘He’s taken that money, he’s gone out and bought some absolutely brilliant players.

‘They’re not household names but to get those players to play the Villa way, the Unai Emery way, and in a short space of time to get this team to be playing the way they are, to get them to quickly understand the Aston Villa way, the philosophy, the style…’

According to Obi Mikel, Villa’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City last weekend was ‘amazing to see’ and just further proof of Emery’s ‘tactical genius’.

‘When I watch this Villa side play, with the intensity that they approached the game against Manchester City, they showed that they belong in the Premier League to compete with the big boys,’ he continued.

‘They were not scared to go toe to toe with City, and maybe they didn’t play the most exciting game, but the tactical genius of Unai Emery to get them to play the way they did and to win that game was just something absolutely amazing to see.’