Michael Carrick is set to be named caretaker manager of Manchester United, with the former player having impressed a number of key figures so far, including Bruno Fernandes
Michael Carrick’s qualities impressed Bruno Fernandes (Image: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Bruno Fernandes believed Michael Carrick would be a “really good manager” if given the chance, despite being upset that he was left out of Manchester United’s starting eleven.
The former Old Trafford assistant has been out of work since being sacked by Middlesbrough, but is expected to remain in charge in Manchester until the end of the season following the sacking of manager Ruben Amorim.
Some of United’s stars regarded Carrick as No. 1, having worked under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when he was his assistant and then serving as caretaker manager of the team for three games, winning two and drawing one.
However, in the first game away against Villarreal, Fernandes was placed on the bench and Donny van de Beek started in his place. The Portuguese talisman admitted that this annoyed him and he also told Carrick as much. “I told him it was really upsetting to miss the first game, and now I’m going to tell him at the end of this game,” he said at the time.
Despite this, Fernandes had no doubts that Carrick would become a great manager. “To be honest, Michael could be a really good coach in the future if given the chance. He knows how to talk and has a lot of football knowledge. He was one of the great players that a lot of people don’t talk about. From what I’ve seen, he could be a top coach.”
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Carrick’s task will be to help United finish in the top four and guarantee a place in next season’s Champions League, after losing to Brighton in the FA Cup on Sunday ended their hopes of winning the trophy.
The 44-year-old already has the backing of some senior players who have gone to the executives and made it clear they want Carrick, rather than Solskjaer, to return and lead for the remainder of the season. Solskjaer had been considered the favorite to replace Amorim, but he was dropped after it became clear that some players had told club leaders they did not want him to return and that they had little confidence in him.
Michael Carrick appears to have been signed ahead of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Image: PA)
It was also understood that Carrick’s personality and coaching qualities had impressed United’s senior players. Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Fernandes, Amad and Tom Heaton are the only players who remained at the club during Carrick’s short stint as manager.
United are keen to make an announcement soon and the interim manager will be given a baptism of fire. This weekend, United face Manchester City before facing Arsenal. Playing against the top two in the league will give us a clear idea of where the team is after a difficult period.
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