Michael Carrick has done a fantastic job since taking over as Manchester United’s caretaker manager and has been compared to Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who was brilliant as caretaker manager in 2019.
Michael Carrick isn’t interested in comparisons (Image: MUTV)
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has said comparisons with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are “irrelevant”, but it remains to be seen whether the interim period will end with the same result. United bosses are yet to decide whether Carrick, 44, will take up the job permanently, despite the club remaining on track to qualify for the Champions League.
The former United midfielder, who was appointed on an interim basis in January, won eight of his 12 Premier League games and lifted the Red Devils into third place with five games remaining. His spell mirrors Solskjaer’s, with Carrick serving as his assistant when the former United striker returned to Old Trafford in 2019 and dramatically changed his fortunes.
Solskjaer was officially given the job less than three months after his return, but was ultimately sacked in 2021 following a poor start to the season. Asked to weigh in on the comparison to his former colleague and close friend, Carrick said: “I don’t think it’s disrespectful. I think I have the utmost respect for him.”
“He’s a close friend of mine, so I worked closely with him while he was here, so I was very attached and I thought we did a lot of good things, and we became close, and in the end it obviously changed and went in a different direction, which is football.
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“I think the comparisons can be made to all sorts of situations and managers, coaches and teams over the years, but it depends on what you choose to compare.
“It’s actually irrelevant, really, it’s not negative or positive, it’s not relevant at all, I think, regardless of who’s in charge, it’s a different team now, it’s a different era, so I think the comparison literally makes no difference at all.”
Ahead of Monday’s game against Brentford, Carrick was also pressed about his future. “I’ve said it many times, I enjoy being here, you know, I enjoy my role,” he said.
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Michael Carrick was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s assistant (Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
“I’ve had some good results and I’m not feeling bad. There’s a lot of work to do. I want to keep improving and there’s a demographic that I really want to reach. Yeah, I’ll keep saying the same thing in front of you every week. There’s only so much I can say about that, but I’ve said it many times: I enjoy being here and I love being here. It’s a real honor to be in the position I’m in.”
As for when a decision would be made, Carrick said: “To be honest, I don’t know and actually, it’s not because it’s a deadline that I’m really chasing.
“It will become clear when it becomes clear. And I’m here now to help the team and help the club get results. We’re doing well at the moment and we can keep pushing and get even better. So that’s all I’m focused on right now.”
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