Manchester United are set to appoint Michael Carrick as their interim manager until the end of the season, but does their former midfielder have a chance to get the job on a permanent basis?
History, and Carrick’s achievements elsewhere, suggests so. But only after a certain date.
Even though Ruben Amorim’s bizarre comments dictated that he had to be fired, United have still decided to take a huge risk in dismissing him midseason despite being within touching distance of the top four and UEFA Champions League qualification.
But have decision makers Jason Wilcox (director of football) and Omar Berrada (CEO) taken an even bigger risk by deciding to hire an interim boss for the next six months instead of a new permanent manager?
Carrick as an interim the correct call, for now
In short: what other option did they have? They could have tried a lengthy midseason pursuit of Eddie Howe, Andoni Iraola or Unai Emery and have to pay a massive compensation fee to land them. But more pain would have likely followed given how long their new style of play and system would have taken to bed in. So going for an interim coach first seems like the right decision, especially with the opportunities this summer could bring.
Time will tell if this decision pays off but Carrick, 44, seems like a steady appointment. After being an assistant coach at United under both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, he took on the caretaker role after Solskjaer was fired and then Ralf Rangnick hired on an interim basis. Carrick won two and drew one of his three games in charge then and probably should have been given the interim job for the rest of the season in 2021-22 season.
He has since proven himself to be an extremely capable manager at Championship level with Middlesbrough over a three-year period, taking them to the playoffs and three top 10 finishes on a shoestring budget while playing an attractive, efficient brand of football. Add this in with Steve Holland — a highly respected coach who was Gareth Southgate’s assistant with England for the last eight years — set to be named as his number two and it’s a steady, capable duo to get United through to the end of the season in the hunt for European qualification.
Many will talk about Carrick having the “Manchester United DNA” but that really shouldn’t be important anymore. Wilcox, Berrada and the key decision makers at United moved away from that model of hiring only coaches who have a close connection with the club as a former player. The next permanent manager has to be the best manager for the job, even if they have connections to Liverpool or Manchester City. It doesn’t matter. Hire the correct person and put nostalgia to one side.
Tough start and a summer of opportunity suggests tough road ahead for Carrick
That said, it’s clear that Carrick’s connection to United as a legendary player and a former coach got him this job. But it won’t keep him in it for long. He has far from an easy start as United host Man City this weekend, then head to Arsenal next Sunday before hosting red-hot Fulham.
Of course, Carrick also knows why he has only been placed in charge on an interim basis. And he’s obviously totally okay with it.
His experience as a coach is limited to the Championship, while there is set to be a whole host of top managers available from July onwards after the domestic campaigns and 2026 World Cup have wrapped up. Oliver Glasner, Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman are just a few of the top managers likely to be available for free next summer. Enzo Maresca, Xabi Alonso and Thomas Frank (probably) are likely to still be around too.
This July is when United should make a decision on Carrick. No sooner.
They gave Solskjaer the job on a permanent basis after an impressive start to his interim spell and even though history proves that wasn’t the worst decision in the world, it also probably wasn’t the best for their long-term rebuild and the club acted with more emotion than logic given Solskjaer’s status as a United legend.
Carrick has the potential to be the permanent manager of Manchester United for many years to come but there needs to be a long, testing interim period first for him to come through. A top six finish this season is the bare minimum for him to be in the running for the job.
Then, and only then, should he be considered as the next permanent Manchester United manager. And even then he will have to beat several world-class candidates to get the job. That is how this has to go and Carrick knows it.
