Being Manchester United manager has become the impossible job. Six have succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson, all succumbing to the pressure in the end. This summer a seventh will be chosen and Michael Carrick, it seems, is on course to be that man.
By winning seven of his 10 games since January and lifting United up to third in the Premier League, Carrick has made a return to the Champions League more likely than not. It would now come as a surprise if a top-five finish did not seal the deal.
It is hard to nail down the characteristics required to be a success at United. They have gone down nearly every route. Jose Mourinho was the serial winner. Louis van Gaal was the experienced hand. Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim were the project managers.
Carrick falls into the ‘United DNA’ camp. In other words, the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer camp, which brings its own baggage. Solskjaer’s deficiencies were obvious, but he navigated the scrutiny at Old Trafford better than most. This is a trait Carrick appears to share.
“There are parts of [what comes with being Manchester United manager] – and I am not being blasé when I say it – that I have known for so long,” Carrick tells Sky Sports’ Roman Kemp at United’s training camp in Dublin.
“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.”
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Michael Carrick believes that Bruno Fernandes is ‘right up there’ in the conversation for Premier League Player of the Year, following his significant impact on Man Utd’s season.
As understated as a coach as he was a player, this is likely the closest Carrick will get to making a public pitch for the job. And it is a compelling one. There are many coaches with a better resume, but how many can claim to know how to manage that level of pressure?
There are parallels with United’s player recruitment problems. It does not matter your quality if the scrutiny is too much. There is no shortage of examples there. Harry Maguire, who has been through the mill at Old Trafford, is better placed than most to explain.
“I see a lot of players come into this club and quite frankly it’s just too big for them,” the 33-year-old defender told journalists in Dublin.
“The eyes on you, the scrutiny, the analysis. Every goal that goes in, it’s someone’s fault. There’s going to be ex-players speaking about it. That’s just part and parcel of playing for this club.” This would only intensify for the person in the dugout.
United are not rushing the decision over their next head coach and a final call is not expected to be made until the end of the season. Carrick is the only candidate that they have spoken to so far which can only be received as positive for his chances.
‘It’s no secret what we need next season’
The head coach position remains up in the air, but decisions are being made about United’s future and Carrick has been a part of that. Maguire has signed a new one-year contract. Casemiro has announced he will depart come the end of the season.
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Michael Carrick says everyone at Manchester United is to see Harry Maguire extend his time at the club
Casemiro has thrived under Carrick in his final season at Old Trafford
Carrick says discussions are taking place about how United replace the Brazil international. “It is no secret what we need going into next season,” he says, alluding to United’s plans to sign at least one top midfielder this summer.
It will be tough for United to plug the gap Casemiro vacates. The 34-year-old has enjoyed a renaissance in his final season at Old Trafford, scoring seven goals, and Carrick says the clarity over his future has helped Casemiro “make the most of what’s left”.
Asked if he would like some clarity on his own future, Carrick says: “I understand the situation, and where we were at when we came back in January, the plan for the rest of the season and the possibilities in the summer. I don’t think that’s changed.
“Things will get sorted when they get sorted. For me it’s just about doing the best job that we can and plan for the future and the good of the club and the players in the squad. I am not coming to get through to the end of the season and deal with what’s next.
“I think it’s important we make a plan and follow that through for the squad to get stronger. If I am part of it then I am part of it. If not, then that is the situation I walked into.”
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Man Utd’s last match – a trip to Bournemouth nearly a month ago
‘Winning titles is where we want to be’
If Carrick does get the job, the pressure would ramp up even more. United have set an ambitious goal of winning the Premier League by 2028, which gives them two summer transfer windows to build a squad capable of lifting the title.
United have not done it since 2013 in Sir Alex’s final season. The closest they have come was under Solskjaer, finishing second to Manchester City in 2020/21 by 14 points.
The jury remains out on Carrick’s credentials to take United back to those heights, but his appointment would raise the possibility of an Englishman winning the Premier League for the first time.
“I’d love that to be the case,” says Carrick. “At some point you’d like to think it would happen. For whatever reason it hasn’t. Timing is important.
“We had a manager here for quite a period of time who was definitely not English but hugely successful. If it got to the stage and that was me, that would be amazing.
“That’s got to be the goal at some point for this football club, to be back to winning league titles. It is where we want to be.”
Carrick has steadied the ship and knows the pressure being at United brings. But will that be enough for him to achieve what is required to truly be considered a success at Old Trafford if he gets the job long-term?
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