Cristiano Ronaldo’s words will need to ring true if Michael Carrick is to succeed in his pending role as Manchester United’s caretaker head coach.
Manchester United are in the market for a caretaker manager to lead the first team until the end of the campaign following the dismissal of Rúben Amorim last week.
Michael Carrick is understood to be the frontrunner, ahead of Ole Gunnar Solskjær, with both former United players having held virtual and in-person discussions with CEO Omar Berrada and Director of Football Jason Wilcox in recent days.
In the meantime, U18s head coach Darren Fletcher has taken charge of the senior side, overseeing the 2-2 draw with Burnley and the FA Cup defeat to Brighton last week.
A decision is expected within the next 48 hours as United prepare for this weekend’s clash with Manchester City, with Carrick currently the most likely appointment.
Ronaldo’s reaction to Carrick speaks volumes
Carrick has served as an interim manager at United once before, taking charge for three games against Arsenal, Chelsea, and Villarreal following Solskjær’s initial sacking in 2021, before Ralf Rangnick’s appointment.
The former United midfielder secured a 3-2 win against The Gunners and a 2-0 victory against the La Liga side, while also drawing 1-1 with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. He managed a side featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphaël Varane, and Jadon Sancho, among others.
After Carrick stepped down, Ronaldo was among those to heap praise on Carrick’s abilities as both a player and a coach, stating that “nothing is impossible” for the 44-year-old.
“Michael Carrick was a class act as a player, and he can become a great coach as well,” the footballing legend wrote on X at the time.
“Nothing is impossible for this guy. Personally, I’m proud to have played with him by my side as well as with him as a manager on our bench.”
United is almost an impossible job
With Ronaldo believing Carrick’s future in football is almost limitless, United will be hoping he can draw on this perceived raw talent as he steps into what appears to be an impossible job at Old Trafford.
Fletcher recently admitted that he feels United’s players are currently fragile following their loss against Brighton, and one of Carrick’s first tasks as United boss will be to raise the floor of confidence that currently sits so low.
This won’t be easy. United’s next two games, which Carrick seems to be set to take charge of, come against a Manchester City at Old Trafford who scored ten goals in the recent victory over Exeter, and an Arsenal team flying high and aiming to clinch their first Premier League trophy in over 20 years.
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There’s a big positive Carrick will see is the returns of Amad and Bryan Mbeumo, two of United’s three most reliable forwards, back in action following their Africa Cup of Nations exits, and hopefully, they can become more clinical in the coming weeks.
Either way, the club will be asking Carrick to secure a Champions League spot at the end of the season, which is a big ask, but more broadly, his task of stabilising a ship as big as Manchester United looks nigh-on impossible.
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