Manchester United will speak with interim boss Michael Carrick about continuing in the role next season before the end of this season, according to Sky Sports.
The report says that the club have spoken with other candidates and could still go in that direction but are going to first hold discussions with Carrick.
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The Wallsend-born Carrick, 44, memorably won his first match as Man United caretaker in the derby at Old Trafford and has since pushed the Red Devils into a top-five place and qualification to the Champions League.
Sky’s Rob Dorsett wrote that Carrick “has been the frontrunner for the role for some time now, with his bosses impressed by his popularity with the playing squad, his handling of the media, his inherent understanding of the heritage and size of the football club – but also, crucially, the results he has achieved on the pitch.”
The Michael Carrick file — Who is the Man United boss?
Carrick played 464 times for United between 2006-18, winning five Premier League titles and a Champions League under Sir Alex Ferguson as part of a playing career that saw him earn 34 England caps and put on the shirts of West Ham, Spurs, Swindon Town, and Birmingham City.
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He began coaching under Jose Mourinho and was appointed caretaker in 2018 prior to the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who kept him on staff, and then again in 2021 following Solskjaer’s exit. He then went to Middlesbrough where he lifted them out of a Championship relegation scrap before eighth and 10th place finishes.
Carrick was hired in January to replace the fired Ruben Amorim for the rest of the Premier League season, winning his first four league matches in a 6W-1D start before losing at Newcastle United. Overall, he’s 10W-3D-2L. The side moved fifth with his first win and have sat third since March 1.
Is Michael Carrick the right man for the Man United job?
Man United are undoubtedly doing the right thing by talking to Carrick about moving into the role full-time, but it’s even smarter that they are doing so without having him as the sole consideration.
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Carrick is well-respected by the current team and has to be treated as such by the hierarchy — Kobbie Mainoo said the players ‘want to fight, want to die for him on the pitch‘ — but appointing him because of this crop of players would be short-sighted for a club of their size.
What’s his vision for the club? When a club appoints another young coach with club history — Solskjaer was 45 when he took charge in 2018 — they have a chance to have someone for a long period of time and a long leash. But squad construction and transfer mentality has to be sorted now, especially if the club is reworking their wage bills. If Solskjaer wants to sign older players and the club wants something different, that matters quite a bit.
And there’s also a chance the club could sit down and learn that Carrick doesn’t quite have long-term vision beyond man management and what he does tactically. This could be great if he’s willing to be a bit player in squad construction or disastrous if he doesn’t have a feel for roster organization.
More to come…
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
