MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United out of crisis As far as my eyes can reach Return to Champions League Ever since I called on Michael Carrick to get his season back.
With seven wins from nine games, the atmosphere at Old Trafford changed completely and United moved into third place. premier league And it prompted club great Wayne Rooney to declare Carrick the man to bring back the good times.
“100 per cent he should (get the job),” Rooney told the BBC after United’s 3-1 win against Aston Villa on Sunday. “I’ve seen the players playing better quality and coming together more as a team. We look like a very strong team. Why change?”
Carrick was hired in January. He was appointed as interim coach to salvage a season that was collapsing under previous coach Ruben Amorim. The former United midfielder, who won five Premier League titles and the Champions League during his trophy-filled playing career with United, was only given a contract until the end of the season while United consider long-term options.
However, United turned things around and came back from sixth place. Amorim was fired. With back-to-back wins including wins over Manchester City and Arsenal moving them up to third place, there are growing calls for Carrick to sign a long-term contract.
“It’s just noise when you hear it. It doesn’t affect me at all,” Carrick said after the win against Villa. “I’m in this position right now and I’m doing the best I can.
“What’s going to happen is going to happen.”
competition for jobs
When Amorim was sacked in January, there was speculation about potential successors, making him the sixth United manager or head coach to be sacked since club great Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Thomas Tuchel, Oliver Glasner, Julian Nagelsmann, Roberto De Zerbi and Luis Enrique are among the reported candidates.
Tuchel’s signing of a contract extension with England appears to have narrowed the field, but the reputations of Glasner and De Zerbi have not improved in recent months.
Glasner Palace is Banished from the FA Cup by sixth-tier Macclesfield Currently ranked 14th.
De Zerbi I left Marseille last month. After losing 0-5 to Paris Saint-Germain.
Meanwhile, Carrick is likely to push his name onto United’s squad list. Sports Director Jason Wilcox We are considering plans for this season and beyond.
for carrick
United’s results and Carrick’s response so far suggest he is not overwhelmed by the challenge of managing one of the world’s most prestigious sporting teams.
He had a glittering career as a player at Old Trafford, and was also Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s assistant when he took over as manager.
“I know what it takes to be successful here and my focus now is to help our players reach the standards we expect at this great club,” Carrick said upon his appointment.
He has produced effective football that brings out the best in players such as Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesco and entertains them.
Academy product Koby Mainu was largely ignored by Amorim but was reinvigorated under Carrick.
Carrick appears to have had a calming effect on a club that had been in turmoil prior to his appointment.
lawsuit against
Even if his appointment gets off to a great start, it would be a gamble for United to bring in such an inexperienced manager at the top level.
Carrick was only head coach at Second Division Middlesbrough from 2022 to 2025, but was unable to lead them to promotion to the Premier League.
United turned to their former player when they appointed Solskjaer to replace Jose Mourinho in 2018. The Norwegian got off to a strong start, including a memorable Champions League win against Paris Saint-Germain. However, despite leading United to second place in 2021, he ultimately failed to deliver a trophy during his nearly three-year spell.
The fear is that although things started well under Carrick, his lack of experience will become evident in the long term.
United’s good results have come at a time when the club is not participating in any other competitions and is only playing one game a week. Older players like Casemiro and Harry Maguire are not overworked and have proven to be key figures even on reduced schedules.
How will Carrick be able to juggle the league, the Champions League and two domestic cups at the same time?
Who is the manager of Manchester United?
United tried everything but still could not avoid the decade-long decline since Ferguson.
They progressed through the top flight and had trials in the form of back-to-back winners Louis van Gaal and Mourinho, but neither could bring them a Premier League title.
David Moyes has a reputation as a top-flight manager, while Erik ten Hag and Amorim were appointed as title winners from overseas.
None of them are up to the required standard.
Despite Solskjær being an iconic player who is part of the club’s DNA and loved by the fans, he ultimately fell short.
Carrick is another throwback to United’s glorious past, when they conquered England and Europe.
He makes his case stronger with each victory. If United maintain this form until the end of the season, it will be very difficult for the club’s hierarchy to overlook him.
___
James Robson is https://x.com/James Saran Robson
___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
