Michael Carrick led his first Manchester United press conference on Friday afternoon, as the squad prepares for Saturday’s Manchester derby against City.
Manchester United are still searching for their first victory of 2026 ahead of the Old Trafford clash with their local rivals.
A testing start to the year has seen United held to a 1–1 draw by 16th-placed Leeds United, followed by a 2–2 draw with 19th-placed Burnley, before suffering a home FA Cup elimination at the hands of Brighton. That run of results also led to the dismissal of head coach Ruben Amorim.
With the derby approaching, United confirmed Michael Carrick’s appointment as head coach until the end of the season, making the meeting with Manchester City his first match in charge.
Carrick has previous experience in the role, having served as interim manager in November 2021, when he guided United to wins over Arsenal and Villarreal and secured a respectable 1–1 draw against then-league leaders Chelsea.
Carrick has already shows big difference to Amorim
One of the main problems Amorim experienced at Old Trafford was the media noise, particularly from ex-players at the club.
The Portuguese boss regularly suggested that their words impacted the players and he even name-dropped Gary Neville in his final press conference, claiming that those above him at Old Trafford listen to the former right-back.
Carrick already knew exactly what he was walking into after his stints as a player and assistant coach at the club and he showed that during his first press conference.
The ex-midfielder was asked about criticism from Roy Keane about him getting the caretaker role and he responded: “Honestly, it didn’t bother me. It didn’t bother me.”
Speaking further on comments from ex-players, Carrick said: “They’re not putting more pressure on me. I don’t feel that. I think it’s just part of it. The role, I understand it.
“I understand there’s plenty of opinions around and some are positive, some not so much. But I think in some ways for me, in terms of you saying about putting pressure, for me, it’s totally irrelevant in terms of me and how I go to work and what I focus on.”
Carrick will be defined by results
Dealing with these kind of issues are not in the job description of 99 per cent of football manager jobs but it is an important aspect of the role at Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag’s communication let him down in certain moments while Amorim was often too confident and honest in the media room. There has to be a balance and you need to be able to navigate through the media issues which always come up.
Carrick was a quiet character as a player but he knows what is needed to help guide United through those situations, and it looks like he will take no notice of what Neville and Keane say.
But, as always, his stint as the United boss will not be defined by how well he deals with the media or if he makes people smile, it will be determined by results.
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