Michael Carrick says he cannot make a “random” decision about his long-term future after Manchester United won his first three games as head coach.
The Red Devils turned to the former midfielder, captain and coach on a deal until the end of the campaign after Ruben Amorim’s patchy 14-month reign came to a harsh end in early January.
Carrick has rejuvenated United since taking over as head coach three weeks ago, lifting them into fourth place in the Premier League with wins over Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham.
Next up is their match against former club Tottenham at Old Trafford on Saturday. The 44-year-old says he won’t get carried away if they win again and doesn’t believe the club will either.
“To be honest, nothing has changed,” said Carrick, who was nominated for January’s Premier League Manager of the Month award.
“It doesn’t change what I do or how I feel about it. I think I’m fully aware of the role I’m doing here and the responsibilities I have.
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“We want to be successful. We want the club to be successful at the end of the season. If it’s me or someone else, I can’t control that at this stage and we’ll see what happens.”
“But it’s certainly important to improve the team, to make Manchester United stronger and to keep improving all the time. But nothing has changed. Short-term results don’t change that.”
“If they change it, then something is wrong. Is it really a good thing or are there some issues that need to be resolved, but in any case it can’t be that unnatural. It’s really steady progress.”
“We really have to keep it level a little bit and stay focused on what we have to do because we know football can twist and turn quickly as well.”
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Carrick has been chosen as United’s manager for the remainder of the season after discussions with former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Red Devils have decided to bring in a coach with the club’s understanding to smooth the transition into the short-term role, allowing director of football Jason Wilcox time to undergo a thorough recruitment process.
The head coach told Carrick that if his success continues, he would be happy to be in the conversation.
“I feel comfortable here, but I don’t get too carried away because I understand the situation very well.”
Carrick’s sole focus at the moment is on United’s upcoming fixtures, with Saturday’s game against Tottenham followed by an away trip to another of his former clubs, West Ham, on Tuesday.
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Sky Sports’ Paul Merson said this about Premier League Friday:
“What he needs – and it probably won’t help him – is to win five or six on the trot and then lose three or four on the trot. How do you react then?
“People will say he shouldn’t be Manchester United manager, but when you lose those three or four games and you’re under intense scrutiny at the biggest club in the world, how are you going to cope?”
“We were watching Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s game and he came in and was behind the wheel and there was a photo of him away at Watford where the photo was destroyed and he looked lost.
“Carrick probably needs three or four losses on the trot and then five wins on the trot and everyone will go. He’s a good manager. He turned things around when the pressure was on. That’s the only way to know how good he is.”
