Michael Carrick’s reign at Manchester United has never been under greater uncertainty, with the 45-year-old facing mounting scrutiny after a torrid start to his first full season at the helm.

Winless in their last eight games across all competitions, United suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Sunday, coming four days after a 4-1 Champions League thrashing at Como and leaving the 20-time English champions 16th in the Premier League table.

The Red Devils are a far cry from the side Carrick led to third place in 2025-26, having taken over as interim boss in January, almost five years after his unbeaten three-game caretaker stint, with his permanent tenure marked by turbulence this term.

Eddie Howe has been reported as a likely replacement, with the former Newcastle United boss without a club since leaving St James’ Park this summer.

With that in mind, Sports Mole compares both managers in terms of experience, playing styles, Premier League record, all-competition statistics and honours.

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

Howe is the far more seasoned of the two, having first taken charge of Bournemouth as caretaker manager in December 2008 at the age of 31 and spent the best part of 18 years in management since.

Across spells with Bournemouth, Burnley and Newcastle United, the 48-year-old had taken charge of 776 matches by the end of last season.

That includes 369 Premier League games across 10 top-flight campaigns with the Cherries and Magpies, plus a Champions League run in 2023-24 in which Newcastle beat PSG 4-1 but finished bottom of their group.

Carrick, by contrast, took his first permanent managerial job at Middlesbrough in October 2022, almost a year after a three-game caretaker spell at United and following time on the coaching staffs of José Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The former midfielder has managed 168 matches across his entire career, 136 at Middlesbrough and 32 across two spells at United, meaning Howe has taken charge of roughly 4.6 times as many games.

Howe’s average spell as a coach lasts 4.08 years compared with Carrick’s 1.28, highlighting the gulf in longevity despite an age gap of less than four years.

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

Howe is regarded as a tactically flexible coach who prefers a 4-3-3 in possession, shifting to a 4-5-1 out of possession, with a heavy emphasis on pressing and quick turnovers.

The 48-year-old’s approach has been shaped by Jurgen Klopp, Johan Cruyff and Diego Simeone, while his man-management is influenced by American basketball coach John Wooden.

Howe has also shown adaptability, using 3-4-2-1 and 4-4-2 shapes through injuries in 2023-24, a season that still brought Newcastle’s highest-scoring Premier League campaign with 85 goals.

Carrick, a composed midfield controller during his playing days, prefers a 4-2-3-1 system, with his Middlesbrough side scoring 13 goals in four matches in March 2023 on their way to a fourth-placed finish.

At United, his approach relied on quick, free-flowing counter-attacks, supported by a compact defensive structure that could absorb pressure without the ball, while restoring Bruno Fernandes to his natural number 10 role also played a key part in the team's resurgence in 2025-26.

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

Carrick has collected 50 points from 27 Premier League matches as a manager, winning 14, drawing eight and losing five for an average of 1.85 points per game.

The 45-year-old’s 2025-26 spell was the high point, with United taking 39 points from 17 league games, winning 12, drawing three and losing two to finish third and earn a Manager of the Season nomination.

This season has been the opposite, with one win, four draws and three defeats from eight league games, leaving United with an average of 0.88 per game.

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

The 48-year-old’s peak came at Newcastle, where he finished fourth with 71 points in 2022-23 and secured Champions League football again in 2024-25, before slipping to 12th with 49 points in his final campaign.

Carrick’s win rate of 51.9% comfortably beats Howe’s 37.9%, though the sample size is small compared to the former Magpies boss’ 369 games, which include relegation with Bournemouth in 2019-20.

Both managers' only previous meeting also came in the Premier League in March, when William Osula struck late to secure victory for 10-man Newcastle at St James' Park, marking Carrick's first defeat as United's interim boss.

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

Across his entire managerial career, which includes Middlesbrough and two spells at United, Carrick has won 79 of his 168 matches in all competitions, drawing 32 and losing 57, for an overall win rate of 47.0%.

Howe has won 340 of his 776 matches across his career, drawing 162 and losing 274, which equates to a win rate of 43.8% by the end of last season.

At Middlesbrough, Carrick won 46.3% of his 136 games, while his time at United since returning in January, both as interim and permanent boss, stands at 14 wins, seven draws and eight defeats from 29 matches, a 48.3% win rate.

Howe’s best returns came at Newcastle, where he won 112 of 231 games for a 48.5% win rate, marginally ahead of Carrick’s overall mark, while his first Bournemouth spell yielded exactly 50.0% from 102 matches.

The 48-year-old’s overall figure is dragged down by a 39.1% win rate in 87 games at Burnley and 40.2% across 356 matches in his second spell at Bournemouth.

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

Howe’s biggest honour came with Newcastle in 2024-25, when he led the Magpies to EFL Cup glory by beating Liverpool in the final, ending a 56-year wait for a major trophy, with the triumph coming two years after losing the final to Man United.

At Bournemouth, he won promotion from League Two and League One as runner-up before lifting the Championship title in 2014-15, taking the Cherries into the Premier League for the first time.

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

Carrick has no major silverware as a manager, with his individual accolades limited to EFL Championship Manager of the Month in March 2023 and Premier League Manager of the Month in January 2026.

The 45-year-old’s best results include a play-off semi-final and an EFL Cup semi-final at Middlesbrough and a third-placed finish at United, though his five Premier League titles and Champions League win as a player carry the biggest weight.