John Obi Mikel: I'd choose Emery over Howe or Nagelsmann as Man United manager

John Obi Mikel said that if Man United sack Carrick, they should try to poach "tactical genius" Emery from Aston Villa.

Despite persistent rumors linking Howe, Conte, Nagelsmann, and Fabian Hürzeler with the Man United managerial position, the club will reportedly give Carrick a chance to fight for his job and turn things around.

"Fans are not stupid. They come to watch games every week, know what's happening on the pitch, and understand what the problem is," said former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel on his podcast as he discussed Man United's difficult start to the season.

When asked if Carrick is a top manager, he said: "No. He didn't have significant top-flight coaching experience before managing Man United. But we all know this is bound to be a process of learning and growth. He did very well last season, taking the team back to the Champions League for the first time in years. Overall, this group of Man United players is not strong enough. Their play is terrible. It's a disaster."

If Carrick is sacked at Old Trafford, former Newcastle manager Howe is considered the hot favorite to take over, with Nagelsmann also on the shortlist. However, John Obi Mikel believes Man United’s first choice should be Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, despite the Spanish coach’s unsuccessful 18-month spell at Arsenal.

When asked whether Howe and Nagelsmann would be his top choices for Man United, John Obi Mikel replied: "Neither. I would choose Unai Emery. I know he doesn't want to leave Villa, but think about it: give him full authority. Give him an unlimited transfer budget and tell him: Unai, we don't want to go down the same old road. We've had enough, and the fans are tired of how the club is now. We want to start over, and we believe you are the one."

John Obi Mikel hailed Emery as a tactical genius: "We all know he didn't succeed at Arsenal. Taking over the team Arsène Wenger left behind was already difficult, given the club's glorious history and style of play."

He took over when the team was in transition, making it difficult to immediately implement his ideas and establish his authority. His time at Arsenal was certainly tough, but he learned from the experience. He then moved to Villarreal and is now at Aston Villa, where he has done an outstanding job of building this side.

Watching Emery's coaching performance year after year is truly remarkable.

John Obi Mikel was impressed by Villa's start to the season, particularly Emery's ability to rebuild the squad after losing key players during the summer transfer window.

"Everyone initially thought Villa would have a tough season, perhaps even battling relegation. Morgan Rogers, Jhon Durán, Emi Martínez, Ollie Watkins—the entire core of the team left. Villa's success over the past four seasons had relied on these key players. He used the money from those sales to bring in a group of very good players. They are not household names, but he can get them playing Villa football in Emery's style and quickly help the whole team understand Villa's tactical philosophy and way of playing."

In John Obi Mikel's view, Villa's impressive 2-1 victory over Man City last weekend reaffirmed Emery's status as a "tactical genius."

"Just look at the intensity Villa showed against Man City—you know they have the strength to compete with the Premier League's top teams. They dared to go head-to-head with Man City. The match may not have been aesthetically pleasing, but Emery's tactics guided the team to victory, which is truly remarkable."