Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reaction to missing out on the Manchester United job speaks volumes

Manchester United announced on Tuesday that Michael Carrick has been appointed head coach until the end of the season, beating Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is backing former manager Michael Carrick to succeed until the end of the season after he was named Manchester United’s new manager.

After Ruben Amorim left Old Trafford earlier this month, Solskjaer and Carrick quickly emerged as candidates to replace him on an interim basis. And the Norwegian, who was in charge of United from 2018 to 2021, was considered by many to be the frontrunner for the head coaching job after initially impressing in his interim role.

Solskjaer’s previous hot-seat experience appeared to give him an advantage, but it emerged at the weekend that Carrick was actually likely to win the role after impressing in negotiations with United bosses.

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Following further discussions, the 44-year-old was officially appointed on Tuesday night. Despite missing out on a second chance at Manchester United, there appear to be no hard feelings on Solskjaer’s side.

BBC Sport claims the former Red Devils striker “hopes” Carrick will be successful in the job, at least until the summer. The newspaper added that Solskjaer sees United’s success as “of paramount importance” and feels Carrick will do a “fantastic job” at the helm.

It is unclear what Solskjaer will do next, as he had no immediate plans to return to management until he was approached by United, but the opportunity to manage the remaining games of the 2025-26 season is a big one for Carrick, who was sacked by Middlesbrough in June.

The former United and England midfielder was in charge of the Championship club for two-and-a-half years, overseeing 136 games. However, Carrick was unable to lead Boro to a top six finish and was sacked.

Fittingly, Solskjaer actually tipped Carrick, who was part of the coaching team at Old Trafford, to become the future Manchester United manager in 2023. “Michael has values ​​and principles and is a big family man, but his knowledge is second to none,” Solskjaer told The Athletic.

“He’s had Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho as managers and played with some of the best players in the world. He’s a winner but he’s still in control of his emotions.”

“I can’t imagine him not being the Manchester United manager.”

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