Carrick’s contract as caretaker expires at the end of the season
Despite Manchester United’s remarkable turnaround in form since the arrival of Michael Carrick as interim head coach in January, the club may choose someone else as permanent manager when the 44-year-old’s contract expires this summer.
According to a new report in The Telegraph, amid internal discussions over a long-term appointment, one name has emerged as clear favourite to replace Michael Carrick, should the club opt to move against offering the Englishman an extension to his current deal.
This groundbreaking information runs contrary to the previously accepted picture, that Man United were ready to offer Michael Carrick the role as soon as Champions League qualification is wrapped up for next season.
With the club 3rd, and three points clear of 4th placed Liverpool, their UCL status could be essentailly secured with a victory over the Reds when the teams meet on Sunday.
However, per the Telegraph the Red Devils — “wary of a repeat of 2019 when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was promoted from temporary to permanent amid a clamour for him to get the job” — are still committed to a full recruitment strategy, out of which a manager who currently works for another Premier League club is considered favourite to emerge from.
How has Michael Carrick fared as caretaker Manchester United manager?
The situation Carrick walked into on his first day at Old Trafford could not have been more desperate.
The Red Devils were sixth in the league, having won just eight from their first 20 Premier League matches.
Things were so bad that even the most optimistic of supporters could not have envisaged a realistic route to Champiosn League qualification, a bear minimum target for the season.
Outside of the Premier League, the situation left behind by Ruben Amorim and initial interim Darren Fletcher were even worse.
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Carrick took over a week after Man United’s FA Cup elimination to Brighton, and some months after their humiliating Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town.
Taking over his squad in that beleaguered situation, Carrick has inspired the Red Devils to become the best performing team in the Premier League across 2026.
The club have risen to become the best team outside of title rivals Manchester City and Arsenal, all while recording victories over both.
While the improvement certainly speaks for itlself, the club are perhaps right to be wary about placing their trust in an interim.
Is all of this not exactly what happened with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer?
A former player with a good vibe comes in to lift the dire mood left in the camp by a characteristically chaotic manager such as José Mourinho.
Things instantly picked up and the good results flew in with a nice win against Man City to boot.
Before you know it, United are in the Champions League and Ole is “at the wheel”.
However, a couple of years pass and the man is a shell of himself, struggling to adapt to tactics of the highest level and overrun by self-important players making the rules themselves.
Ole ends up as a supply teacher in his own school, lacking the authority to put those out of line in to place and the losses pile up, leading to his eventual sacking.
The parallels with Michael Carrick, despite it being early days, are too clear to ignore – we’ve been here before.
While the prospect of Carrick is tempting, it takes cut-throat leadership and wise foresight to turn it away.
Ultimately, he remains too much of an unknown to take a punt on, with just a bitter-sweet Middlesborough tenure to show for his experience.
A three-year Carrick cycle would take us up to 2030, and almost two decades since United last won the league, the sort of taunt the club’s fans used to make towards their sworn rivals Liverpool.
If not Carrick, who is favourite to take over?
According to The Telegraph, Manchester United currently favour Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola as first choice outside option to take the reigns at Old Trafford.
The 43-year-old has already announced his plans to depart the Viatlity Stadium this summer, immediately outlining him an attractive option, since there would be no need to pay out the remainder of his deal, as is the case with coaches still under contract.
Iraola has gained massive plaudits for the way he has coached sides to plays progressive attacking football, which could fit in well with the famous “Man United DNA.”
For the time being, Man United are said to have made no final decision on who their next permanent manager will be.
A final appointment will be chosen at the conclusion of a full recruitment process.
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