The press conference was held in Carrington ahead of Michael Carrick’s appointment as Manchester United’s interim manager until the end of the season. The former Red Devils midfielder has emerged as Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS’ first choice following face-to-face negotiations.
Ratcliffe and the INEOS executives ended Ruben Amorim’s ill-fated reign as United manager earlier this month following a 1-1 draw with lower-league side Leeds United. Darren Fletcher was appointed caretaker manager for United’s Premier League game against Burnley and most recently in the FA Cup third round match against Brighton.
The former Scotland international failed to win in either of his two games in the dugout and Carrick is expected to be used for this weekend’s Manchester derby. Express Sport understands that a basic agreement has been reached between Carrick and the coaching team and that his appointment will be announced once the formalities have been completed.
An official announcement could come as early as Tuesday, with his first training session as manager likely to take place on Wednesday. A rapid turnaround was seen on Thursday when Carrick met Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox, with the former England international beating former teammate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to take the place.
Several players in the United dressing room are said to have confided in club officials about the possibility of Solskjaer’s return, with some even going so far as to say they had no confidence in the Norwegian. Instead, the team expressed a desire for Carrick to take over from Amorim, a wish that looks increasingly likely to be granted.
Carrick boasts some experience in the Old Trafford hot seat, having played three games as caretaker manager after Solskjaer was sacked in 2021. United turned to Ralf Rangnick as an interim player for the remainder of the season, but appointed Erik ten Hag at the end of the 2021/22 season.
The Tyne and Wear-born coach took over as Middlesbrough manager midway through the 2022-23 season, with Carrick managing 136 games during his time in charge. He quit his job at Middlesbrough in June 2025 and has remained unemployed ever since.
Carrick is unlikely to have an easy start as United manager, given Saturday’s game against rivals City is followed by an away trip to Arsenal. Given United were eliminated at the first hurdle of the FA Cup, Carrick will be able to focus solely on the league, with Fulham, Tottenham and West Ham taking charge of the remainder of the first five games.
