Man Utd appoint Carrick as manager to end of the season
Manchester United confirmed Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season on Tuesday, tasking him with leading the Red Devils back to the Champions League.
“Having the responsibility of managing Manchester United is an honor,” said Carrick, 44, who won 12 major trophies during his 12-year career at United.
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The former midfielder had previously gone three games unbeaten as caretaker boss at Old Trafford in 2021.
Carrick then took on his first permanent managerial role at Second Division Middlesbrough in October 2022 and was sacked in June last year after the club finished 10th in the Championship.
He has a difficult first task: prepare his men to face local rival Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday.
United are seventh in the table but are in the race to qualify for the lucrative Champions League for the first time in three seasons.
The Red Devils are three points behind fourth-placed Liverpool and just one point behind fifth-placed Brentford.
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A top four finish would guarantee qualification for the Champions League and the top five would likely be enough thanks to the strong performances of English teams in the European competition.
“I know what it takes to succeed here; my focus now is on helping the players achieve the standards we expect from this incredible club, which we know this group is more than capable of producing,” added Carrick.
“There is still a lot to fight for this season, we are ready to bring everyone together and give the fans the performance their loyal support deserves.”
The Red Devils fired Ruben Amorim last week after a dismal 14-month spell at Old Trafford for the Portuguese.
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But hopes of an immediate bounce back were dashed, with interim boss Darren Fletcher overseeing a 2-2 draw against lowly Burnley in the Premier League and a 2-1 defeat to Brighton in the FA Cup.
– A safe pair of hands –
United’s elimination from both domestic cups at the first hurdle, plus the absence of European football, means they will play just 40 matches this season, their lowest number since the 1914/1915 campaign.
Carrick’s experience at United as a player and manager is said to have convinced the club’s hierarchy that he is the safe pair of hands they need over the coming months.
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“Michael is an excellent manager and knows exactly what it takes to win at Manchester United,” said the club’s director of football, Jason Wilcox.
“He is ready to lead our group of talented and determined players for the remainder of the season as we continue to build the club towards consistent and sustained success.”
After spells at West Ham and Tottenham, he joined United, winning five league titles and the Champions League in 12 years.
When his playing career ended in 2018, Carrick joined United’s coaching staff as an assistant to Jose Mourinho and then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
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After Solskjaer’s dismissal five years ago, he briefly took charge of the first team, achieving impressive results against Chelsea, Arsenal and Villarreal.
However, his time at Middlesbrough ultimately proved disappointing.
Armed with one of the biggest budgets in the Championship, they reached the play-offs in his first season in charge, losing to Coventry over two legs in the semi-final.
Boro finished eighth and 10th in Carrick’s two full campaigns in charge and he was sacked at the end of last season for failing to secure promotion to the Premier League.
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