Michael Carrick: Manchester United manager is in no rush to make a managerial decision despite almost certain Champions League qualification | Soccer News

With Manchester United all but certain to qualify for next season’s Champions League, Michael Carrick has done everything in his power to secure a long-term head coaching job. However, United’s leaders are in no hurry and a decision is unlikely to be made before the end of this season.

Executives are expected to discuss with other candidates before making a final decision, including the rigor United will apply to its most important appointments. Recruitment processes, due diligence and strategic decisions are made. These are the new administration’s buzzwords.

However, no formal talks have yet taken place, although other options may have been discussed through intermediaries. Again, the plan is to wait until the end of the season.

Under Carrick, United are 11 points clear of sixth place in the Premier League with 12 points remaining. When he took over on January 13, he had one mission: to qualify for Europe’s elite competitions. It would take a spectacular collapse from here to miss.

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But the message from Carrington seems to be: “Don’t get distracted until the football is over.” There is still plenty to contend with on Sunday as they face arch-rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford, live on Sky Sports, with United still numerically likely to finish anywhere between second and sixth in the table.

Appointing Ruben Amorim was clearly a mistake, but sacking him in January with 19 games left in the season was the right decision. If the Portuguese manager was still in charge, United would not be in the position they are in now.

As the director of football saw it, it was clear that Jason Wilcox was becoming increasingly frustrated with Amorim’s tactical inflexibility. That flexibility was on full display in United’s 2-1 win over Brentford on Monday night, when the home side found themselves behind a number of times in the first half, allowing too much space in midfield and, as a result, giving Brentford too many chances. Senne Lamence brilliantly kept Brentford at bay on at least three occasions.

Carrick answered. They switched to a back three at half-time, tightening up the midfield and narrowing the space, effectively sealing the game in the second half. It was a less appealing spectacle and the crowd at Old Trafford fell silent, but it almost certainly helped United get over the line and pick up another three points.

“Credit to them, they’re a good team and have a really good combination of threats,” Carrick told Sky Sports after the game. “We made some adjustments in the second half and had decent control for the most part.”

That would definitely have impressed his bosses, but that alone doesn’t mean he’ll get the top job long term. Carrick also maintains his highest points per game (2.2) to goals per game (1.9) ratio since the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

He has performed admirably in every aspect of his job since taking over, but it’s not just his statistics that stand out. The way he energized the team and his sure way with the media left the biggest impression. Equally important is the support of the players, many of whom have come out in support of Carrick in recent weeks.

And in practical terms, Carrick’s appointment will be a very smooth transition, making pre-season planning, transfer discussions and strategic preparation for next season much easier than bringing in someone from the outside.

However, United’s leaders are mindful that the former United player’s time in charge has been very short (15 games so far) and this season is likely to be quite unique in United’s history.

With both domestic cup games played early and no European football matches in the middle of the week, Carrick experienced the luxury of preparing for just one game a week while still having plenty of time with his players on the training pitch. No other United season, past or future, will feature fewer games. And that means next season’s team will inevitably be stretched further, no matter who is in charge.

Despite their recent successes, United’s leadership is in a disadvantageous position in many ways. If they hand over the job to Carrick and perform poorly next season, there will be a chorus of voices saying the club have repeated the mistakes of the past, when manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær got off to a good start but was eventually sacked. Ironically, Soksjar was given the real job after a successful 15-game honeymoon, which is similar to Carrick’s current situation.

But if the club bypasses Carrick and brings in a big name, they will face criticism for their decision not to stick with a player who has performed so well in the short term if they fail next season. This is what life is like at a club as big as Manchester United.

The reality is that while Carrick has performed well in the role, United’s other options have diminished. Big names such as Carlo Ancelotti, Thomas Tuchel, Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique have been identified as coaches with the personality, experience and influence to cope with the scale of the role at Old Trafford.

However, Ancelotti has penned a new contract with Brazil, Tuchel has signed a similar deal with England, and Enrique is increasingly likely to sign a similar deal with PSG.

There is no doubt that Carrick is in pole position, and few would argue that he doesn’t deserve it. It is also clear that there is growing support for him among the staff and players at the Carrington Training Center, a place he knows well, which is also a big deal.

But the new, methodical Manchester United side are in no hurry to make such a big decision. Whatever the noise from outside, inside Carrington’s corridors of power there exists a quiet sense of satisfaction with how things are going and a determination to avoid the mistakes of the past.

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