Matt is an experienced sports journalist and Senior Editor at Football FanCast with 15 years of experience covering football across the Premier League, EFL and Scottish football. Since joining the publication in 2019, he has progressed from writer to Assistant Editor and Senior Editor, a position he has held since 2021.  

A Sports Journalism graduate, Matt previously served as Arsenal and Premier League Editor at VAVEL and gained club-media experience with Chesterfield FC. His journalism has appeared through the Press Association, with his work featured by Sky Sports and the Daily Mail.
 

Throughout his career, Matt has interviewed prominent football figures including Arsène Wenger, Ray Parlour, Alan Smith, Lucy Bronze and Steph Houghton, while also appearing on Arsenal Fan TV and Love Sport Radio.
 

Today, Matt leads Football FanCast's features team, overseeing opinion coverage, editorial standards and content strategy while continuing to provide detailed football analysis.

So, there we have it. At long last, Michael Carrick is set to be relieved of his duties as Manchester United manager.

A meeting in Monaco on Wednesday, where Sir Jim Ratcliffe is based, will reportedly see the end of the former midfielder who has endured a true Ole Gunnar Solskjaer-esque stint in the Old Trafford dugout.

Like when Ole was in charge, Carrick enjoyed a period of rejuvenation. No club won more points in the Premier League between the 20th and 38th gameweeks of last season. It was title-winning form.

However, it has all unravelled spectacularly. United have won just once on the domestic stage this term and a change had to be made.

Mauricio Pochettino is currently the frontrunner, but why?

Why Man Utd are looking towards Pochettino

Without ever managing United, Pochettino has a history with the Red Devils.

After sacking Jose Mourinho in 2018, it was Poch who they should have turned to. They did not. They had more chances to hire him in 2019 and 2020 but did not.

In 2021, he could have been the replacement for Ole and in 2022 when they decided to hire Erik ten Hag instead, they could have picked the Argentine once more.

Thus, it feels very United that nearly ten years after he should have first set foot in the north west, that he could finally be on the way to Old Trafford.

Early reports suggests that he is a leading contender to replace Carrick and he is keen on getting the job. There is one obstacle, a $10m buy-out clause in his contract with the US national team. That, however, is unlikely to prove prohibitive. Sir Jim has been a penny pincher during his time at the club but he cannot afford to be here.

So, what would they be getting? Well, in the words of Pep Guardiola, the 54-year-old is "one of the best managers in the world". While he may have been away from the club scene for a little while, there is plenty to like.

For a side full of egos, he seems like one of the wisest choices. After all, he won Ligue 1 with Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi. Two of those names, in particular, are not easy to manage off the pitch.

On the pitch, Pochettino has proven himself to be progressive and forward-thinking. His football is easy on the eye and he's been a keen developer of talent. His work at Southampton still gets talked about while no one will forget the fact that he took Tottenham to the Champions League final.

All that said, he is not a serial winner. He has won just one league title and one domestic cup, both with PSG, since becoming a manager.

As a result, it's likely United could turn their attentions elsewhere.

Man Utd could hire an elite Pochettino alternative

Carrick's sacking comes at a good moment as far as the job market is concerned.

There are a host of options on the table from the likes of Gareth Southgate and Didier Deschamps to more proven club managers like Julian Nagelsmann and Eddie Howe.

Yet, one name sits above all else; Antonio Conte.

The hotheaded Italian has been one of the leading candidates for the role and that stretches back a number of weeks to when Carrick was first under pressure.

Now, with the 45-year-old on the verge of leaving Carrington for the last time, Conte is in their crosshairs. A fresh report from BBC Sport in light of Carrick's exit suggests that Conte 'is known to be keen on the role' amid United's hunt for a new manager.

This is significant. Conte doesn't just pick any old side to manage, he picks them carefully.

United must be careful too, though. The Italian's personality is fiery and he's not a yes man, far from it. He will go to war for you but only to a certain extent. He's got a lot of baggage attached in that regard.

Remember the way in which he left Spurs? He openly criticised the hierarchy in a remarkable press conference.

Given the pressure the likes of Ratcliffe, Omar Berrarda and Jason Wilcox are under right now, this might feel like a recipe for disaster. Yet, if there is one manager to conjure up an instant turnaround it would be Conte.

He's one of the top coaches in world football and unlike Pochettino, has enjoyed a lot more success as far as winning trophies are concerned.

The 57-year-old has already won the Premier League with Chelsea, he's won the FA Cup with the Blues too and he's a five time Serie A winner with Juventus, Inter and Napoli. Everywhere he goes, Spurs aside, he seems to generate success.

For United, that will be a huge box tick. Sure, they may have been here before with Messrs Mourinho but he did win trophies at Old Trafford.

While the goal for Conte would be to simply improve results, he would surely not move to Old Trafford if he did not think he had a chance of lifting a major honour anytime soon.

Say what you like about the state of the United squad but this might be one that suits him too. After all, it still features a number of Ruben Amorim's recruits and that is significant because Conte has traditionally deployed a 3-4-2-1 formation throughout his managerial career.

So, while United of course need to improve on the transfer front in 2027, this squad are already familiar with the demands of what such a tactical system requires.

Under Amorim it did not go well but Conte has proven he can have success with this formation. Napoli won Serie A while playing with three at the back as a recently as in 2024/25.

For the vibes, Pochettino feels like the most sensible choice and certainly the less risky appointment long-term. Conte, with his stern approach and brash personality, could bring back the good times but it may come with a few casualties along the way.