Let’s not pull any punches: Manchester United are heading back to the Champions League next season, and Michael Carrick is the man who got them there. Can the Old Trafford club afford to take the risk of allowing their interim manager to leave?
Saturday’s 1-0 win over Chelsea pushed Man Utd to third, a massive 10 points clear of the Blues in sixth. With just five matches of the Premier League season remaining, it would take an unprecedented collapse for the Red Devils to finish outside the top five and, therefore, miss out on the jackpot of playing for the European Cup.
There are no signs of such a collapse. United did suffer defeat to Leeds last Monday, yet that was just the second of Carrick’s 12-match reign.
Despite this, the man himself is eager that his squad does not get swept up in the euphoria.
Speaking to BBC Sport after the Chelsea victory, he said: “There’s a gap. Coming here and winning is tough, and to have moments like that with the fans at the end, that’s what you remember. We’re not getting carried away, but we’ll certainly enjoy it.”
Carrick providing substance and style in Man Utd role
Carrick is putting forward an irrefutable case to be United’s next boss.
When he took command, United were seventh and coming off the back of a 2-2 draw with Burnley. They have since overhauled Newcastle, Brentford, Liverpool and Aston Villa, who were a massive 11 points clear of them, to take third spot.
The interim boss has won eight of his 12 matches, suffering just two defeats, and he has brought back some of the panache that was missing under Ruben Amorim.
While the idea of Man Utd DNA may be an overblown one, there’s little doubt that Carrick’s understanding of the club and its unique pressures have helped him adapt to the trying circumstances he was parachuted into.
Michael Carrick’s Man Utd record
| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17/01 | Man City | Home | won 2-0 |
| 25/01 | Arsenal | Away | won 3-2 |
| 01/02 | Fulham | Home | won 3-2 |
| 07/02 | Tottenham | Home | won 2-0 |
| 10/02 | West Ham | Away | drew 1-1 |
| 23/02 | Everton | Away | won 1-0 |
| 01/03 | Crystal Palace | Home | won 2-1 |
| 04/03 | Newcastle | Away | lost 2-1 |
| 15/03 | Aston Villa | Home | won 3-1 |
| 20/03 | Bournemouth | Away | drew 2-2 |
| 13/04 | Leeds | Home | lost 2-1 |
| 18/04 | Chelsea | Away | won 1-0 |
“There are parts of it – and I am not being blasé when I say it – that I have known for so long,” he told Sky Sports. “The pressure is something I have lived with for a long time.
“What’s expected here, how to go about achieving things, the amount of support we have, and the scrutiny is something that becomes normal after a while.
“It does not feel as big as it probably looks from the outside for me personally.”
Time for Man Utd to act?
United are adamant they will not rush into a decision, but results are threatening to make it for them.
The Athletic reports that those within the game are increasingly convinced that Carrick is the man for the job.
“Several industry insiders with access to the club believe United should go with Carrick due to the major uplift in position that has come since his arrival,” it states. “They view the wins over Manchester City and Arsenal as evidence of his ability to smartly set United up against the country’s best, and by sticking with him, executives would be giving themselves, in effect, two bites of the cherry.
“If they appoint somebody else and it starts badly, going back to Carrick is not an option.”
The obvious answer, of course, is not always the correct one, particularly in a game as fickle as football. But with a strong body of results behind him, it feels that it would be a major risk for United to ditch Carrick just as the club is regaining some feel-good factor after months in the doldrums.
