Gareth Southgate has reached a decision on becoming Man Utd head coach if the Red Devils decide to sack Michael Carrick, according to reports.

The Red Devils had a brilliant second half of the season under Carrick last term, as he guided Man Utd to a third-placed finish and qualification for the Champions League.

Man Utd brought in Youri Tielemans, Carlos Baleba and Andrey Santos as they revamped their midfield but many supporters think Carrick should have had further backing.

The Red Devils have started the new Premier League season in disappointing fashion with just one win from their opening seven matches.

One win, four draws and two losses has earned them seven points from seven games, which would be relegation form in some seasons, and sees Man Utd 13th in the Premier League table.

Man Utd are also out of the Carabao Cup and have lost one and won one of their two Champions League matches so far this term.

Red Devils legend Gary Neville recently warned that Carrick could potentially lose his job, or at least be under severe pressure, if Man Utd are still 13th in January.

Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast: “[There’s] a depressed standard and a low expectation right now. But it’ll feel like a stepping stone for Michael Carrick, and it’ll feel like the first step on the ladder in the Premier League.

“They may take some confidence from that, and there might be a blueprint there, maybe we have to bring Matheus Cunha, Marcus Rashford and others off the bench, and we might just have to have a go at being more solid.”

Neville added: “I would say fourth would be a birdie, fifth would be par, and sixth would be a bogey.

“But they can’t finish outside the top five because then you’re missing out on the Champions League, and it becomes a vicious circle. You can’t get those players because they want to play in the Champions League, and you can’t get the money from it, and you’ve lost the £60m-£70m, and you’re in the Europa League on Thursday nights.

“Fifth is a must for Michael Carrick to continue to grow and Manchester United continue to grow with investment.

“If they’re 13th in January, he’s got a problem because then you are what you are, whereas I think it’s still early enough, seven points from seven games, to say, ‘OK, still early in the season’; you can’t say that after 15 games.

“It has to change in the next few weeks: Bournemouth is really important, and Chelsea away, and how he manages the games in between that.

“You’ve got to say fifth; you know that anything less than fifth is going to be a disappointment and a drop in standard from the start of the season, where everybody expected them to finish, and at the moment, they’re well short of that because you look at Brighton, Liverpool, Aston Villa – they look like they’re picking up a little bit, it’s difficult.”

Man Utd owner Jim Ratcliffe is ‘a big admirer of Southgate’

Former Man Utd scout Mick Brown – who is still well-connected at Old Trafford – insists ex-England boss Southgate is “not going to be the one to replace Carrick if they decide to pull the trigger”.

Brown told Football Insider: “The name that always seems to come up in connection with the Man United job is Gareth Southgate.

“He’s obviously been out of work since he left the England job, so that’s why he keeps being linked with Man United and with a few other jobs as well over the last couple of years.

“Jim Ratcliffe is a big admirer of his, I think that’s where the rumours come from, but he’s not going to be the one to replace Carrick if they decide to pull the trigger there.

“He’s come out now and said he has no interest in it, he hasn’t been going to football matches. That was interesting but ultimately it’s up to him and what he wants to do.

“So he’s turned down any opportunities that have been offered to him and it doesn’t look like he will be making a return any time soon.”