Michael Carrick is leading the race to take over the role of caretaker head coach until the end of the season, and his stance towards potentially being named permanent manager past the summer has been revealed.
Manchester United are looking for an interim manager to take charge of the first team until the end of the season after Rúben Amorim was sacked the morning after his public outburst in his post-match conference following the 1-1 draw against Leeds at Elland Road.
The two main candidates are reportedly former United players Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Michael Carrick, with reports emerging that Carrick is now the frontrunner for the job.
Darren Fletcher was promoted from managing the U-18 side to take charge of the first team for their draw against Burnley and their defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup.
As preparations continue for the weekend’s clash against Manchester City in the derby, Manchester United are expected to confirm who their interim appointment will be within the next two days.
Carrick’s stance on being the manager past this summer
Having previously been Manchester United’s caretaker manager for three games in 2021 after Solskjær’s dismissal, Carrick is now set to once again be back in the hot seat at Old Trafford to try and steer his former side to Champions League football at the end of the season.
In the 44-year-old’s most recent managerial job, he was managing Middlesbrough, but was sacked last summer after missing out on a play-off position after a string of poor results towards the end of the Championship season.
Manchester United fans will be encouraged by the fact that when he joined the Teesside club in October 2022, he went on a run of 16 wins out of his opening 23 games in charge, lifting the side from 21st to a play-off position.
While he may be able to steady the ship at Old Trafford, journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed his stance on being head coach for the long term. Speaking on The United Stand, he revealed that regardless of what happens this season, he’s not going to be the long-term Man United manager.
Solskjær wanted to be the manager beyond the summer
Solskjær arrived at Manchester United at a time when relations between the club and its supporters had deteriorated, following José Mourinho’s destructive end to his spell in charge. Mourinho’s tenure ended in turmoil, marked by public unrest and the controversial decision to deploy players out of position as frustration grew over unmet transfer demands.
The former striker, immortalised by his winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final, was appointed to restore positivity at Old Trafford. He succeeded immediately, overseeing an 11-match unbeaten run that featured 10 victories and revitalised the club’s atmosphere.
Jacobs expanded on what the 52-year-old’s intentions were past this summer, stating that he wanted to qualify the club for Champions League football, and then hopefully land the permanent job, wanting a big bonus on top of that if it happened.
Ultimately, INEOS may have opted for Carrick as he was a more realistic option for a short-term gig, and was not going to stay on past the summer even if he did well during the interim phase.
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