Manchester United have begun assessing potential replacements for head coach Michael Carrick following a disastrous start to the season and a disjointed performance against Como on Wednesday night, and while the 45-year-old retains their backing for now, INEOS are adamant they want a contingency plan in place should a change become a necessity.

It’s been a dismal start to the campaign for the Red Devils, who have collected just two wins from 11 games across all competitions and sit a lowly 13th in the Premier League table.

And while there is an acceptance that the club did not do enough to bolster Carrick’s squad over the summer, leaving the manager with a poor hand, the woeful run of results, coupled with some outspoken opinions from big-name players and the lack of cohesion on the field, has meant those noises around Carrick are growing louder by the game.

As of right now, the club continue to back their manager, but, as revealed on Thursday morning, a change could be coming with Jason Wilcox given the ultimate say and with a timeframe on the potential sack now emerging.

As a result, club officials are understood to be reviewing several candidates as the pressure mounts and with plans for a potential successor now starting to be put in place.

To that end, sources can reveal that Julian Nagelsmann has already been sounded out about the possibility of taking charge at Old Trafford.

We understand the German is open to discussions, having previously been considered by United before the appointment of Carrick.

His experience at Bayern Munich and with the Germany national team is viewed as a potential fit for the club wanting greater tactical organisation, leadership and control.

Eddie Howe remains another prominent option, as TEAMtalk revealed earlier this week.

The former Newcastle United manager was also on United’s shortlist prior to Carrick’s arrival and is believed to retain strong support within those decision-makers at Old Trafford.

Having turned down a number of approaches in recent weeks, Howe is understood to be open to the prospect of a move to Manchester, where his record of developing squads and delivering consistent performances has long been admired.

As revealed on Tuesday, his appeal to INEOS has been made clear.

Those two, however, are not the only candidates for the job we have been briefed on…

Hurzeler the dream pick; decides on taking job

Brighton’s Fabian Hürzeler has also attracted attention. The young coach has impressed United with his work on the south coast, particularly his ability to construct a competitive squad from limited resources and his clear tactical framework.

However, we revealed on October 16 that Brighton did not fear losing the 33-year-old and, despite his progressive methods and growing reputation placing him on the radar of several clubs, including United, it emerged on Thursday lunchtime that the German has decided against leaving for Old Trafford to replace Carrick, should the axe fall.

Antonio Conte has also made his interest known by putting himself forward for the role, as revealed on September 16.

However, United have yet to express any serious desire to open formal talks with the Italian, and those close to the club appear to be indicating that any move for the Italian would be unlikely, despite the success he enjoyed when in charge of Chelsea and the fact he left Tottenham fourth in the Premier League at the time of his departure in N17.

Nonetheless, the club are doing their due diligence on would-be candidates.

The process remains at an early stage, with no decision expected imminently and Carrick having the next four games before the international break to turn it around.

United’s leadership is keen to avoid further disruption and will weigh each candidate’s suitability against the club’s longer-term ambitions.

But Carrick’s position will continue to be monitored closely as the season progresses, with results in the coming weeks to decide the speed of any potential change.

However, as history shows, when the board start talking to alternative options, the countdown is usually on for the current manager.