Manchester United interim head coach Michael Carrick is auditioning to become the Reds’ permanent boss at the end of this season
Michael Carrick will be aiming to become Manchester United’s permanent head coach in the summer(Image: Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
Manchester United are hurtling towards the end of the season and with it comes the conversations surrounding the managerial vacancy at Old Trafford. When Ruben Amorim was sacked, Ineos went for the safe option of appointing Michael Carrick on an interim basis. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co found themselves under fire after U-turning on Amorim. Bringing Carrick in avoided a major revolt from the fanbase.
That did not stop Ratcliffe being the subject of a fan protest before the victory over Fulham. But, it did stop protestors having another stick to beat him with.
There was always going to be plenty of good will towards Carrick but he has surprised even the most positive United fan with the turnaround. The Reds have won seven of his 10 matches in charge and lost just once.
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Those results have put United on the cusp of qualifying for the Champions League. That was the goal at the start of this season but something that looked impossible while Amorim was in charge. Carrick deserves plenty of credit for guiding United to this position heading into the final seven matches of the campaign.
If United were to finish in the top four, it would be difficult to argue anyone other than Carrick deserved the job. Sticking with the interim head coach would also be the safe option for Ratcliffe as it simply continues a plan that works.
However, there is one lingering concern surrounding the 44-year-old. Since his first Premier League game back with United, Carrick has made the least changes to his starting XI (10) than any other head coach in the top flight.
This has partly been down to United’s good form but also thanks to their reduced schedule this season. The Reds bombed out of the Carabao and FA Cups before Carrick arrived, so his sole focus has been on the Premier League.
It also meant United have had plenty of time to reset and work on things when results have not gone their way under Carrick. After the draw at West Ham, the Reds had 13 days to recover and followed it up with two wins on the spin.
Eleven days followed the Newcastle defeat with the Reds bouncing back to beat top four rivals Aston Villa in their next game. Now, after a 2-2 draw at AFC Bournemouth where United were denied a penalty and saw a man sent off, Carrick’s side have a whopping 24-day break until their next game.
Such gaps between matches can be double-edged swords. On the one hand, teams would prefer to keep playing regularly to build momentum but, when a result has not gone your way, it is easy to prevent the form snowballing and dropping you into a rut of two, three or four matches without a win.
Carrick has easily drawn a line under disappointing results thanks to the failings of previous regimes. Next season will be a lot different for the Reds.
Should they qualify for the Champions League they will have a guaranteed eight extra matches to fit into the schedule. Chances are they will also play more than a combined two matches in the Carabao and FA Cup.
Only when Carrick is tested with a more hectic schedule will United be able to judge if he can produce the same consistency that has built his reputation this season. How a team bounces back from Tuesday night disappointment, the following Saturday, is a marker many head coaches are judged on.
Ineos have been unable to do that during Carrick’s interim spell and they must consider it when they finally decide who the right person is to take the club forward.
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