Michael Carrick was employed by Manchester United until the end of the season, but two impressive wins in his first days in charge have led to calls for a permanent job.
Michael Carrick has won his first two games as Man United head coach (Image: James Gill – Danehouse, Getty Images)
Manchester United have a golden opportunity to show they have evolved under new leadership, with increasingly emotional decisions in the form of Michael Carrick.
If there’s one thing Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his lieutenants Omar Berada and Jason Wilcox haven’t shown, it’s faith. Their thought process is completely guided by results. Even if the results hide cracks that cannot be repaired.
Everyone knew for months before Erik ten Hag was sacked that this wasn’t their player, but their win in the FA Cup final fooled them. Things were going great when he was shown the door a few months later.
And so is their latest coaching call and decision to make Carrick head coach until the end of the season. He is making the case for wins over Manchester City and Arsenal to become a long-term player. So now it’s up to Ratcliffe and his allies to have the courage to stand up for their beliefs.
In early January, they clearly didn’t think Carrick was the guy. Otherwise, he would be appointed indefinitely until the end of the campaign. It was a decision they made and one they needed to stick to.
read more: Michael Carrick interview canceled as Manchester United manager attends meeting with Sir Jim Ratclifferead more: Michael Carrick’s take on Manchester United’s top four prospects, players discuss next moves
The club’s statement confirming Carrick’s role made a number of references to him taking charge “until the end of the season”. Wilcox said Carrick was “ready to lead a talented and determined squad of players for the remainder of the season as we continue to build the club towards regular and sustained success”.
Apparently they were not convinced that Carrick was the man who would bring them “regular and sustained success.” Otherwise, he probably would have been handed the reigns on a three-year deal instead of the 17-game deal he’s been given.
Manchester United’s hierarchy continues to get important decisions wrong (Image: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista, Getty Images)
The feel of these opening two games, the idea that United would be led by homegrown players, resulted in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s biggest possible miss of 2019. The stop gap that became a long-term plan was partly due to his performance being impossible to ignore at a level where there was clearly no long-term plan.
Unsurprisingly, Roy Keane has not been seduced by recent performances. He insists Carrick cannot be the man to take United forward.
“Even if United won every game until the end of the season, I still wouldn’t give him the job,” he told Sky Sports. “I still don’t think he’s the right guy for the job. Absolutely not. They need a bigger and better manager.”
It was the story that Jamie Carragher played during Solskjaer’s time when, no matter how hard he tried, he could not match the quality of Thomas Tuchel, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola. There’s no shame in that.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over in 2019 after an impressive spell as manager (Image: Getty Images)
United’s profile means everyone has a say in the next permanent manager. Some believe Oliver Glasner, who leaves Crystal Palace in the summer, could be on the shortlist. Some people yearn for someone like Carlo Ancelotti, even though it’s unlikely to happen.
Waiting until the summer also gives the Manchester team the chance to sign a manager who may be at the end of his World Cup cycle. Is it England’s coach Tuchel or Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann? Rumors of Luis Enrique leaving PSG are still swirling.
Ratcliffe and his team have made just about every wrong decision imaginable and already fall into Glazer’s category. Their popularity and ability has declined significantly, and they may be forced to make two decisions in the coming months. Something strong or something popular. Choose wisely.
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