Manchester United have not confirmed their plans for the end of the season, with Michael Carrick still uncertain on his future at the club when his contract ends at the end of the season

Manchester United risk Michael Carrick opening talks with other teams if they wait any longer to offer him a permanent job at Old Trafford, according to former defender Jaap Stam.

Carrick is under contract for just two more United matches after helping the team return to Champions League qualification, having replaced Ruben Amorim earlier this year. The former Middlesbrough boss has been widely commended for his job with the club set to seal third place in the Premier League, 12 months on from finishing 15th.

The 44-year-old was appointed until the end of the season, but his future has yet to be made clear, and no Manchester United manager has been confirmed for the summer. For his part, Carrick has insisted he remains calm about the uncertainty surrounding his future.

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Stam reckons the moment is approaching where Carrick will want to plan for the summer, whether that be at United or elsewhere. The Dutch giant believes the former midfielder has done enough to earn a deal at the Theatre of Dreams.

“He’s had a great spell now, he’s done very well, so I think you need to do that [give him the contract],” Stam said via ComeOn. “I cannot imagine there are no talks going on now or starting because if he wants to go on as a manager, he needs to have a look at other clubs now himself if he wants to change that somewhere else, if he wants to bring in players somewhere else.

“So this is the time to make decisions, and after this success by getting into the Champions League, I can’t imagine not talking to him now and saying, ‘OK, we want to go and give you a contract for maybe for the next season or the next two seasons and see how it goes.’

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“And there are always talk with fans, or people are always saying when they’re not successful, ‘OK, then it’s the lack of experience or he’s too young or we should have brought in this manager.’

“But he knows the club very well. And I think it’s very positive that he knows what happened before, maybe the new owners came in, and how the club needs to be run and what needs to be done and what the feeling is as a United manager or as a United player.

“He can bring that feeling to the players, and I think that’s already what he’s been doing. And together with great people on the board, people who are very committed and want to make changes, I think you can help a young manager like him in making that next step or to become very successful for the club.”

United have been one of a number of clubs linked to making a move for Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola. The Spanish coach has already confirmed he will make his departure from the Cherries at the end of the season.

For the moment, he is refusing to be drawn over speculation on where his next move could take him. “I’m in no rush,” Iraola said.

“I will not talk about my future. I’m fully focused on trying to finish this season with a reward, something tangible for the [Bournemouth] players and supporters.” He added: “It was not an easy decision [to leave] but once it is made you feel relief.

“I feel we have used it in a positive way. Since that day, we’ve had great results but also the mood.

“Everyone is clear, the relationship is so clean and honest. Okay, this is going to happen, next season Marco Rose will be our manager.

“Everyone knows what’s happening. We are in good place and can use this in a positive way.”

The first WWE Premium Live Event post-WrestleMania 42, 2026 Backlash in Tampa, is officially in the history books. The card had five blockbuster bouts: two title bouts, two singles matches, and one tag team contest.

The major attraction on Saturday night was Roman Reigns‘ first title defense as WWE World Heavyweight Champion against his own real-life Bloodline member, Jacob Fatu. But the only women’s contest on the card, a singles match featuring Asuka and IYO SKY, also stood out and became one of the highlights for this year’s Backlash.

The Genius of the Sky and The Empress of Tomorrow have been engaged in a feud over the last several months. Their bad blood gradually turned personal. Kairi Sane was also a major part of the saga, but she was shockingly released from the company a few days back. This was a major shocker for the fans.

Despite the massive personal setback, Asuka and SKY locked horns in a singles matchup at WWE Backlash 2026. The former Women’s World Champion proved that it’s her time now by beating the 44-year-old star clean. Fans were highly entertained by the level of the match between the two Japanese female stars and rated it highly.

However, that wasn’t the shocker. Following the bout, Asuka broke character and burst into tears. In a passing-the-torch moment, she hugged SKY, kissed her on the cheeks, lifted her hand, and bid farewell to the crowd, potentially hinting at retirement.

In this listicle, we will explore four potential reasons why The Empress of Tomorrow lost to SKY at Backlash 2026.

#4. Asuka leaving WWE

A WWE superstar breaking their heel character is a rare sight that fans do not see often. The Empress of Tomorrow is known for keeping kayfabe. At Backlash, she broke down into tears and bid farewell to the fans, hinting that this might be the end of her in-ring stint with the Stamford-based promotion.

Brock Lesnar had a similar moment at WrestleMania 42, and he retired and left WWE, as he has been placed in the alumni section on the company’s official site.

Hence, her losing the match could be her perfect departure from the sports entertainment giant. If she were to leave the promotion, a win would mean nothing to her at this point, and putting a rising star would benefit the company in the long term.

#3. ⁠Passing of the torch moment

Since Triple H took over the WWE creative team, one of the things they have been focusing on the most is building new superstars. The former Women’s World Champion IYO SKY has been one of The Game’s favorites.

Asuka has been a mentor to The Genius of the Sky throughout her professional wrestling career, and the Stamford-based promotion built their rivalry as a student versus teacher angle.

By losing to her protégé at the Backlash 2026 Premium Live Event, The Empress of Tomorrow has passed the torch to IYO to carry the legacy she and other Japanese stars have built over the years.

A win over a veteran star like former Damage CTRL leader has elevated the former Women’s World Champion’s credibility as a superstar even more.

#2. WWE is rebuilding IYO SKY as a singles star again

It’s been a while since The Genius of the Sky has been placed into the main title picture. She last held a singles title in 2025, which she lost in July.

She then formed a tag team with Rhea Ripley and ruled the division up until early this year before dropping the Women’s Tag Team Championships to the Irresistible Forces on Friday Night SmackDown before the 2026 Elimination Chamber.

Ripley climbed to the top quickly as she won the Women’s Elimination Chamber match, punched her ticket to WrestleMania, and got a Women’s Championship match against Jade Cargill. Moreover, Mami captured the Women’s Championship, beating Big Jade at the Granddaddy of Them All, becoming a singles star once again.

Meanwhile, SKY got stuck in the mid-card mix with her feud with Asuka. By handing her a personal win over her fellow Japanese star, WWE may have begun rebuilding Ripley’s tag team partner as a singles main-event star, and she might soon enter title contention.

A Women’s World Championship match between IYO and Liv Morgan would be a major box-office attraction, as they are both stylistically dynamic and know how to grab the audience’s attention.

#1. Taking time off

Another potential reason the 44-year-old veteran may have lost to IYO is that she may be going on a hiatus from the company. Being a WWE superstar can be stressful, as the life of a star is not easy.

They have to travel all around the world every week and compete tirelessly away from their family. Asuka is among the few workhorses who have been on television constantly grinding and working hard.

However, she may have finally decided to take some time off to spend some time with her family, as her retirement is not confirmed as of the writing of this article.