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Gary Lineker has playfully predicted that Manchester United will name Michael Carrick as manager, only to give him the boot by December. The former Match of the Day host labelled the club as "bonkers" in light of a tumultuous 18 months.

Ruben Amorim was given his marching orders by United last Monday after a falling out with the club figures. His tenure at Old Trafford came to an abrupt halt just hours after his tirade following their 1-1 stalemate with Leeds United.

Lineker anticipates that Carrick will shine during his temporary stint at the Theatre of Dreams, leading to a full-time appointment. However, he predicts the ex-Middlesbrough boss will be shown the door next season.

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Discussing their pre-season forecasts on the Rest is Football podcast, the 65-year-old told Alan Shearer and Micah Richards: "Manchester United, here we go, I said mid-table to get into any European competition would be a bonus. I'll stick with that, thank you.

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"They're in that pack where they could lose a couple and drop, they've got a new man in charge, it's Michael Carrick until the end of the season, they already had one interim for two games in Darren Fletcher.

"My prediction is that Michael Carrick will do pretty well for the remainder of the season, they'll give him the job and he'll be fired by about November (or) December because that club is just bonkers at the minute."

The club's hierarchy is under increasing pressure due to struggles in reversing the slump.

The journey hasn't been without its missteps, including the struggle to appoint Dan Ashworth to a newly created position before he was ultimately succeeded by Christopher Vivell.

Darren Fletcher was brought in as caretaker boss for the fixtures against Burnley and Brighton and Hove Albion, but the ex-midfielder could only secure a stalemate against the Clarets before suffering an FA Cup elimination at the hands of the Seagulls.

Supporters' collective The 1958 have announced their intention to demonstrate ahead of the Fulham fixture at the start of February, targeting the Glazer family and minority stakeholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Carrick emphasised that the Premier League campaign was far from over, with United positioned seventh in the standings, just three points behind Liverpool in fourth place.

His opening match back at the helm will be against Manchester City as they attempt to derail their title challenge.

He said: "I know what it takes to succeed here; my focus is now on helping the players to reach the standards that we expect at this incredible club, which we know that this group is more than capable of producing.

"I have worked with a number of the players already and have obviously continued to watch the team closely in recent years, I have total belief in their talents, dedication and ability to be successful here.

"There is still a lot to fight for this season, we are ready to pull everyone together and give the fans the performances that their loyal support deserves."