Carrick leading race for Manchester United interim manager role – reports
The former midfielder may fancy his chances of landing the role permanently if he can put the Red Devils on the right track
Michael Carrick has emerged as the leading candidate to become Manchester United’s caretaker head coach, with sources close to the process indicating talks with the former midfielder are at an advanced stage.
United’s hierarchy are keen to have an appointment in place before players return to training on Wednesday, and while a final decision has not yet been confirmed, discussions with the 44-year-old have progressed positively.
Carrick is understood to have strong backing both within the dressing room and from the Ineos leadership overseeing football operations at Old Trafford.
Carrick previously stepped into the role on a temporary basis following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dismissal in 2021, overseeing three matches in which United recorded two wins and a draw. He departed soon after when Ralf Rangnick was appointed interim manager.
Solskjaer, meanwhile, has also been in contention and held face-to-face talks with the club on Saturday about a potential return.
United moved to find a short-term solution after sacking Ruben Amorim on January 5th, ending the Portuguese coach’s 14-month spell in charge.
Darren Fletcher was initially placed in temporary control of first-team matters following Amorim’s departure. However, Sunday’s FA Cup third-round defeat by Brighton appears set to be his final game at the helm, having also overseen a Premier League draw at Burnley last Wednesday.
Carrick enjoyed a distinguished playing career at United, making 464 appearances between 2006 and 2018 after joining from Tottenham under Sir Alex Ferguson. Following his retirement, he moved straight into coaching, joining Jose Mourinho’s staff before remaining as a key first-team coach throughout Solskjaer’s tenure.
His only permanent managerial role to date came at Middlesbrough, where he spent two and a half years in charge before being sacked last June. Carrick guided Boro to the Championship play-offs in the 2022-23 season, losing to Coventry City in the semi-finals, before narrowly missing out on the top six in each of the following campaigns.