Stan Collymore has predicted that Manchester United will sack Michael Carrick as first-team manager and has given his take on Aston Villa’s statement on Jamie Carragher’s comments about Unai Emery.

Man Utd suffered a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea away from home at Stamford Bridge in London in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Red Devils are now without a win in nine matches in all competitions.

Man Utd are just a point above the Premier League relegation zone after nine rounds of games.

TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Graeme Bailey, has reported that Man Utd have no immediate plans to sack Carrick as the first-team manager.

Sources have told us that Man Utd co-owners INEOS plan to keep Carrick in charge of the Red Devils until the international break at least.

Former Aston Villa striker Collymore has predicted that Man Utd will eventually sack Carrick as the manager this season.

The pundit has also predicted that Man Utd will get rid of director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive officer Omar Berrada at the end of the season and will offer their number one managerial target “absolute autonomy over football affairs”.

Collymore wrote on X at 2:11pm on October 31: “Prediction.

“United will pull the trigger on Carrick but will employ a placeholder for the rest of the season.

“Why? Their main target is not available for this full season.

“At which point United sack Wilcox, Berrada and dismantle the football department.

“They will then offer their number 1 target absolute autonomy over football affairs alongside the most lucrative managerial offer since Pep.”

Collymore’s verdict on Villa reaction to Carragher’s Emery comments

Collymore has also given his take on Jamie Carragher having to apologise for his comments on Unai Emery potentially leaving Aston Villa for Man Utd.

Emery has transformed Villa and led the Villans to Europa League success last season.

The former Arsenal manager has also made Villa regulars in the Champions League.

TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Graeme Bailey, has reported that Emery is one of the managerial candidates that Man Utd are keeping tabs on, should they decide to sack Carrick.

Former Liverpool defender Carragher recently said on the Stick to Football podcast that Emery would swap Villa Park for Old Trafford.

Carragher said: “Surely he would want that opportunity to manage a giant again.

“There is a chain in football, whether you like it or not.

“So Real Madrid will take Manchester United’s best player, they did it with [Cristiano] Ronaldo.

“And there will be teams below Aston Villa, and they’ll take their players or manager, so shut the [expletive] up Aston Villa fans.

“Aston Villa will never be Manchester United.”

Carragher faced backlash from Villa fans on social media for his comments, but the pundit made it clear that his remarks were made as “a joke”.

The former England international defender also said on the Overlap Daily podcast that his message to Villa fans had been “in jest” and added: “I just think Unai Emery is the best manager in the league and if you’re Man Utd you’re thinking, what’s the best we can get?”

Villa released an official statement on social media stating that they will “initiate legal action against Jamie Carragher for his unacceptable insults about the Club and its fans”.

Aston Villa will initiate legal action against Jamie Carragher for his unacceptable insults about the Club and its fans.

Aston Villa will not allow anyone to stop our ascension in English and European football.

Nassef Sawiris, Chairman https://t.co/xUEcFKsiEx

— Aston Villa (@AstonVilla) October 30, 2026

Carragher subsequently apologised on X, posting at 12:44pm on October 31: “I’d like to apologise to Aston Villa, the owners & their fans.

“My language this week was clumsy & wrong.

“I can assure Villa fans it was tongue in cheek but I can understand it’s not come across that way, so apologies.

“Good luck today UTV!”

Former Villa striker Collymore has given his take on the situation, and he does not seem to be too impressed with the Villans threatening to take Carragher to court over his comments.

Collymore wrote on X at 1:28am on October 31: “Any club looking for frivolous threats of law suits is setting a dangerous precedent.

“If a pundit says ‘your club supports genocide’, then that’s a very serious allegation worthy of sanction but a pundit works on the basis that they can give a heartfelt opinion in the safety that football discourse ( making clubs a lot of money in the process, no TV, no money it’s that simple) can be discussed in the spirit that we ALL signed up to as players, owners, fans and clubs.

“That being edginess, forthright opinions fuel the on and off pitch beast. What next? Villa get sued the next time Blues come to VP and we sing some of our more exotic songs at them, live on TV?

“Using the logic of twitter defamation lawyers does that Blues can say ‘the Holte were heard singing songs that were damaging to our brand, we are suing you’.

“Then roll that out across the land, every player sung about sues the club who’s supporters defamed him ( and there’s a good few who could), every manager who hears his name being shredded by oppo fans behind him can sue for ‘occupational distress’, etc etc etc. You see where this f*****g ends? Chaos. There’s a reason why Villa’s statement pops out.

“It’s because clubs don’t f*****g sue pundits for what we ALL as fans say, tweet and bring on Saturdays.

“It’s an unwritten, unholy alliance that says.. ‘This is a 150 year old football culture that in a changing world with changing tolerances, manages to keep the essence, flavour and spirit that is irreverent, sometimes nasty, spiteful, humorous and dark, but it’s one we all agree should be preserved as much as possible in a safe, inclusive environment for all’

“Today, more than ever that’s a challenge. Forest 2 weeks ago asked fans to not chant a long standing song to the tune of Oh when the saints. Many thought it was woke, I’m sure many thought it’s race had been run and good riddance.

“At White Hart Lane I had ‘you’re mad and you know you are’, weeks after being in a mental health institution. Derby fans still sing a song about me that is inappropriate.

“I honestly couldn’t give a f**k about either because I understand that making the game 100% saccharin, brand awareness overloaded with frivolous law suits is a bad idea. A really f*****g bad idea. For so many reasons.

“’They constantly put us down’ isn’t a legal defence, that’s your pride and partisan nature bring hurt. Imagine rolling that theory out on here, we’d all be in court every f*****g day!

“Any club threatening to sue any pundit is frivolous bar saying the owner funded ISIS, unproven allegations that they nicked club funds or something very serious that really could damage the club reputation.

“And tagging a whole fan base as being in need of protection is also bollocks.

“Villa fans nor any others are an amorphous block who all think or feel the same. Some will get the hump, many couldn’t give a fig, but now my club has forced a loyalty test on me when I honestly couldn’t give a toss what Carra said about Villa, like I couldn’t give a toss what Gabby says or anyone else.

“I make my own mind up thanks, and the unintended consequences of this is other clubs will now look to scare pundits or journalists with lawfare as many wealthy people do in their other business. Be careful what uou wish for.

“Any club tweeting a threat of action towards a pundit for a legal and honest opinion within the boundaries of ‘normal football discussion’ that any fan would have is absurd.

“Whatever the name of the club is and whoever its owner is and how many great things he’s done. It’s just a bad idea with ramifications that lead to censorship of honest opinions that do not meet any real defamation test in English law.

“’We’ll frighten you in order to keep you at heel’. That’s not brand protection, that’s lawfare.”

Collymore added at 1:15pm on October 31: “He said it about my club.

“And in a dressing room, around 7pm tonight players wearing Claret & Blue can only be affected by players wearing White & Black. That’s the only way a club ever breaks its ceiling.

“If you honestly believe Carragher, Henry, Lineker or Shearer could say anything that would influence a player or manager to join or not join Aston Villa as oppose to millions of pounds and the perception of greener grass, then I genuinely believe you are do far removed from how football works, it’s stunning to see.

“Unai Emery moved from Villareal to Villa despite Champions League qualifying for the former because he was paid 5 times more by Villa and the size of Villa meant potentially greater trophy rewards.

“If you don’t understand that Manchester United are perceived and will be for possibly forever as a bigger football club therefore bigger potential rewards if successful then you don’t just understand football, you don’t understand basic human behaviour and it’s desire to progress, even if that progression is perceived rather than a reality.”