Michael Carrick has been told how he can take the Manchester United head coach job on a permanent basis next season.
Michael Carrick held his first training session as Manchester United head coach on Wednesday, as preparations continued for Saturday’s derby showdown with Manchester City.
United are yet to record a win in 2026 ahead of the Old Trafford meeting with their neighbours. The new year has been a testing period, beginning with a 1–1 draw against 16th-placed Leeds United, followed by a 2–2 draw with 19th-placed Burnley, before suffering a home FA Cup defeat to Brighton. That sequence of results also resulted in the dismissal of head coach Ruben Amorim.
With the derby approaching, the club confirmed Carrick’s appointment as head coach until the end of the season, with the Manchester City fixture set to be his first in the role.
Carrick has previous experience leading the side, having taken interim charge in November 2021, when he guided United to wins over Arsenal and Villarreal and secured a 1–1 draw against then-league leaders Chelsea.
Carrick told how he can take United job on permanent basis
United have had several ex-players take control at Old Trafford after a manager was sacked. Ryan Giggs, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Carrick himself have previously done the role.
Solskjær was the only one who had an extended period of time and he managed to land the permanent role after impressing so much. Now, there are questions about whether Carrick would be offered the job if he does well over the coming months.
Ex-United defender Gary Pallister believes that Carrick will be offered the job if he ‘does really well’ and implements the kind of attacking football his Middlesbrough side played with.
“If Michael does really well, then I’m sure that he’d be handed the job. He’s a young, bright and up and up-and-coming manager, and he’s cut his teeth at Middlesbrough,” Pallister told ManchesterWorld.
“I watched some of the football that his team played in that first year [at Middlesbrough]. I’ve gone on record as saying it’s probably some of the most exciting football I’ve ever seen a Middlesbrough team play.
“If you can, if you try and reproduce that at Manchester United, then I’m, I’m sure the fans will love his style of play.”
What will it take for Carrick to get the job
It does feel unlikely that Carrick will be offered the Old Trafford job permanently, partly due to the how things ended with Solskjær, but you never know.
Like Pallister suggested, he would not only need results but also an exciting playstyle that works. That wouldn’t likely even be the most important factor.
The availability of other managers would likely make the difference if Carrick did want the permanent role. If someone like Thomas Tuchel was available after the World Cup, Carrick’s chances would be very slim.
Yet, if those kind of managers were not keen on the United job and the club had to decide between Carrick and another unproven option, many fans would likely prefer that the ex-midfielder was offered the role.
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