Jamie Carragher has told Man Utd they should appoint Eddie Howe over Julian Nagelsmann if Michael Carrick is sacked.

The Red Devils fell to a crushing 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, leaving them 16th in the Premier League table with just two wins in 12 games this season, and no wins in their last eight games in all competitions.

That form and recent performances have seen Michael Carrick on the brink of being sacked by INEOS, with the expectation that he will not be in charge of the next game against Chelsea on Saturday afternoon.

GIVEMESPORT sources understand that succession planning is already underway, with a number of candidates being considered. Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler was someone being looked at, but the German has ruled out leaving the Seagulls in midseason, while Antonio Conte, Eddie Howe, and Julian Nagelsmann have also been linked.

Howe and Nagelsmann are believed to be the frontrunners for the job should they decide to part ways with Carrick as expected, and after the 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth, former Liverpool legend and Sky Sports pundit Carragher was asked about the possibility of either of those managers being in the dugout in the near future.

"They're the obvious ones," he said. "Are they better managers than Michael Carrick? Yeah, of course they are. I never believed Michael Carrick was the guy to bring Man Utd back to winning the biggest trophies.

"He came in, helped his club, did brilliant last season, and listen, it's fell off a cliff this season. Has to be changed.

"Now Eddie Howe has done a brilliant job at Newcastle, he's out of work, he's available, but probably hasn't had the experience of a club this magnitude, or this size.

"Nagelsmann, on the other side, doesn't know the Premier League but has managed the German national team. Has managed Bayern Munich, and did a really good job, I felt, at Bayern Munich.

"Who would I go for there? I'd probably go for Eddie Howe in that role, just because he knows the Premier League and he's got experience of it, and the job he did at Newcastle was fantastic. A great coach, improved players.

"But is Eddie Howe the manager or the stature that is going to get Man Utd back winning the biggest trophies? But right now, I'm saying that, it's about getting Man Utd back into the top half of the table.

"It's going to what Carrick did last season. They need someone to do that for them. You look at where they are in the league table, they've got Chelsea away and then Aston Villa. There's a very, very good chance that Man Utd are going to go into the international break in the bottom three."

INEOS Cannot Get Next Manager Wrong

INEOS have got a lot of things wrong since they took over the football side of things at Old Trafford, and the fans have now had enough.

The stands were full of supporters chanting against them and the board, while also chanting in support of Carrick, who had an iconic career in the club's midfield during his playing days. That suggests that they are running out of time to get people on their side, and another bad decision with whoever replaces Carrick could well be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

Whether it's Howe, Nagelsmann, or someone else who ends up coming into the dugout this season, the board cannot afford another wrong decision on their watch. Howe is arguably the safest option considering his Premier League experience, but he is far from a sure thing, and that must be weighed up before he is given the nod.