After Michael Carrick has been appointed as Manchester United’s head coach until the end of the season, Sky Sports News’ Dan Khan looks at why he is the right choice for the club…
I had the pleasure of spending some time with Michael Carrick at two different charity events over the past few months. Last but not least is his own foundation boot collection, which was recently held at Macclesfield FC.
When I spoke to him off-camera, I was in awe.
We shared a room with former Rochdale player Luke Matheson, who scored against Manchester United at the age of 16 in the 2019 Carabao Cup.
Saturday, January 17th 11am
12:30pm kickoff
Speaking to Matheson, Carrick, who was part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s backroom staff at the time, recalled every moment of the game, including the details of the game, Rochdale’s coaching staff and where they are now.
One observation I’ve made from my limited interactions with Carrick over the past few months is that he fully understands the importance of football as a tool to have a positive impact not just on Manchester United, but on the community in many ways.
As he reiterated in his first interview with the club, when referring to the Old Trafford fan base: “I’m one of them.”
You may be wondering why this is important.
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Sky Sports’ Rob Dorsett says Manchester United’s transfer business will not be affected by Ruben Amorim’s sacking, but believes the club are unlikely to spend money in January.
Carrick takes over a club that is at its lowest point in history. Not just in terms of the results this season and the opportunities missed, but also in terms of the morale and confidence of the players and the Old Trafford crowd.
When I was at Old Trafford after losing 2-1 to Brighton in the FA Cup, it wasn’t about the performance or the result, but rather what the loss meant in the grand context of Manchester United’s situation.
Whether you call this the culmination of sustained misgovernment or a rude awakening of years of decline, the facts are the facts. Whether it’s being eliminated in both cups in the first round for the first time since 1982, or playing the lowest number of games in a season in over 110 years, this United team has reached record lows.
The atmosphere at Old Trafford speaks volumes.
The spectators, who have endured as patiently as possible and been praised for the same characteristics over and over again, are losing faith in the team in front of them.
The article was telling of the need for Darren Fletcher to send a different message after the FA Cup defeat, after 14 months of Ruben Amorim defending his players (mostly) to the media and trying to shield them from the noise.
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Darren Fletcher reacts to Manchester United’s FA Cup defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford
In his final press conference as interim, Fletcher reiterated the responsibility of his players to step up and change the club’s fortunes. He even showed some emotional expression at the end. A man who had seen the best of the best at the club left the impression that he was not at all impressed by what he saw.
And it will be interesting to see what Carrick’s new backroom staff, including Steve Holland and Jonathan Woodgate, find when they train for the first time this week.
Will this be a team still reeling from Amorim’s firing just a few weeks ago?
Amorim basically had to babysit Carrington’s players and made it clear that the players could not continue their training sessions without him. I don’t know if that’s true, but it’s easy to forget that many, if not most, of this team has had five different voices leading it since the beginning of last season.
Teams need consistency, time, and more importantly, people who can lead the team.
Will we see a repeat of the sad era under former caretaker manager Ralf Rangnick, or a resurgence led by Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who was in contention for the role with Carrick, during his interim stint…well, that will make United an interesting story for the rest of the season.
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As Michael Carrick prepares for his first game as manager at his former club Man United, we take a look back at other players who have returned to their former clubs as managers.
Equally good news for Carrick and United fans is that the return of Amad Diallo and Brian Mbeumo from AFCON will give the squad much-needed strength back in preparation for this weekend’s clash with Manchester City.
As they have shown in recent years, this team seems to be performing better against “bigger” opponents this season too, with impressive wins against Liverpool and Newcastle United, for example.
And perhaps City will be the right type of opponent at the right time for this team.
They showed in their draws against Wolves, West Ham and Burnley last month how hard they struggle to break down teams, especially when they are in the lower to mid-table blocks, and you wouldn’t expect that from a City team that feels like the entertainers of the league at the moment.
Carrick – the right choice at the right time
While we know that United have entertained two former players in Carrick and Solskjær during this process, it is important to point out that senior management, including director of football Jason Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada, will insist they had no intention of capitalizing on nostalgia.
Instead, they wanted to appoint someone who understood the club and could hit the ground running, working with the current relatively new leadership structure in place at the club.
Carrick certainly has all of the above. He spent 12 years at the club as a player and worked under Jose Mourinho and Solskjaer in his final spell at the club as a coach.
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Sky Sports’ David Reid looks at how Manchester United could line up under Carrick and analyzes his style of play during his time at Middlesbrough.
It will be particularly interesting to see how Carrick develops the style of play he practiced at Middlesbrough, as he is a well-rounded and decisive figure who has improved since his last time at Old Trafford. His 4-2-3-1, when not in possession, morphs into more of a 3-2-5 when his team is attacking, but perhaps his team lacked the firepower and flair needed to get the most out of that type of system.
It remains to be seen whether this United side can show the fight and passion to salvage their season, but Carrick’s level-headed approach feels like the right type of personality needed at a time when this team cannot fall short in confidence and form.
But it feels almost pointless to look too closely at his tenure at Middlesbrough. He himself admits how much he has learned from his first permanent managerial role in football, wisely stepping away from other positions to make the most of the two-and-a-half years he spent at his former club.
United have every right not to go back to the Ole era…for now.
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Sky Sports’ Rob Dorsett explains why Manchester United appointed Carrick as manager ahead of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Solskjaer, who returned at the end of 2019, felt he was the right person to manage the club. He gave United the boost they needed at the end of the Jose Mourinho era.
He was sacked in November 2021 following a turbulent run of performances and results, and almost tearfully bid farewell in an incredibly emotional exit interview published by the club.
Solskjær’s reign had undeniable heights, and had history been tweaked – the Europa League final comes to mind – perhaps we would have portrayed his managerial pedigree differently, with a European trophy to his name.
But do sequels often work, even if only temporarily?
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The team’s best goal during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time as Manchester United manager
Solskjaer’s return would have been popular. There is no doubt about his connections and relationships with the club and its supporters, but there may have been fair questions aimed at class.
Since INEOS’ investment, they have tried to modernize the club as much as possible.
Improved and improved practice range. A more data-driven approach to recruitment and analysis. A drive to be best in class in several departments.
Returning to an appointment that worked under the previous government led by Ed Woodward does not feel at all connected to the above point.
Solskjaer has been contacted about the head coaching vacancy.
Unfortunately for Norwegians, we cannot forget our history. We must remember how chaotic and sad Solskjær’s reign ended.
His last five games for the club included a 5-0 home defeat to Liverpool, an incredibly one-sided 2-0 defeat to Manchester City and a 4-1 defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road.
Context is also needed. Perhaps what strikes a chord with United fans is the argument that they pulled the carpet under him rather than developing his system and style of play after finishing second in his second full season.
United stats in Solskjaer’s two full seasons in charge
In the summer of 2021, United needed to strengthen their midfield and young long-term strikers, with the club re-signing 36-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo and adding Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund.
Ronaldo compromised on the counter-attacking style of football that Solskjaer was trying to introduce, but Sancho was unable to find a place in the team.
So perhaps Solskjaer deserves a reprieve given how his time as manager at the club ended, but perhaps he will need to rebuild his career elsewhere before returning to Old Trafford in the future.
Watch Carrick’s first game in charge of Manchester United hosts Man City live on Sky Sports on Saturday. Kickoff is at 12:30 p.m.
Manchester United’s next 5 games
January 17: Man City (H) – Premier League, kick-off 12:30pm, live on Sky Sports January 25: Arsenal (A) – Premier League, kick-off 4:30pm, live on Sky Sports February 1: Fulham (H) – Premier League, kick-off 2pm, live on Sky Sports February 7: Tottenham (H) – Premier League, kick-off 12:30pm, live on Sky Sports February 10: West Ham (A) – Premier League, kick-off 8:15pm
