Andoni Iraola has been linked with Manchester United, but despite Michael Carrick’s influence in the dugout, questions remain over the Old Trafford outfit’s long-term vision.
Michael Carrick has won nine of his 13 Premier League games this season (Image: Getty Images)
In the grand scheme of things, it’s probably been a long time since a match between Manchester United and Liverpool was less important. Both teams will qualify for next season’s Champions League, but the title race has long been a two-horse race.
And the apparent animosity between the two sets of supporters seems to have waned a bit in recent days. For Liverpool fans, Manchester City have probably become a more unpleasant opponent.
Although rival supporters don’t go out for beers together before games, there is no real threat anymore in the atmosphere in which these two teams play each other. And certainly there are no big threats on the pitch.
Remember that epic moment 11 years ago when Steven Gerrard came on as a second-half substitute against Old Trafford, lunged at Juan Mata and stomped Ander Herrera, earning himself a red card after just 38 seconds? There’s no chance of that happening this afternoon, that’s for sure.
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The big debate in South Cheshire, home to most of these players, will probably center around who pays for dinner. It’s clearly a joke. It will be a relatively heated game in front of an Old Trafford crowd who have enjoyed a quiet but largely successful end to United’s season.
It’s nice to win games, but if a club is obsessed with actually winning, clinching Champions League qualification is unlikely to be exciting. Of course, the outcome of this game still means a lot to fans and players.
But the two men for whom it means more are in their respective technical fields. This is a big game for Michael Carrick and Arne Slott.
Arne Slott will continue to manage Liverpool next season after a disappointing season (Image: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Barring humiliation in the remaining four games, the Dutchman will, and should, be in charge at Anfield again next season. Winning the Premier League title last season should have already secured him a third season.
But there’s no denying that the fan base’s faith in Slott is waning as the season progresses. A straw poll of Liverpool supporters inside Old Trafford would show that the majority are willing to give up on slotting in for another season, but they don’t necessarily think it’s a good idea.
That’s why Slott was able to put in such a commanding performance against United. Indeed, after his impressive performance, three more wins could take Liverpool to 70 points, one more than Jurgen Klopp’s side earned when they defended their Premier League title in 2020/21. But the win would be even more important for Carrick.
His record of nine wins, two draws and two losses in his 13 games in charge in the Premier League should already mean he will start as United manager next season. But there are still whispers around Old Trafford that some senior figures at the club believe a bigger, more established name is needed.
Andoni Iraola has emerged as a long-term manager candidate for Manchester United (Image: Ryan Pierse, Getty Images)
Or perhaps an up-and-coming manager with a proven track record in the Premier League, such as Andoni Iraola, who was linked with United more strongly last week, might be a better option than Carrick. While the opinion that Mr. Carrick will and should take the job remains strong, there are still skeptics who continue to list reasons why Mr. Carrick should not take the job.
He wasn’t successful at Middlesbrough, he wasn’t charismatic enough, etc. Carrick just keeps getting results. But he knows that a crushing defeat at home to Liverpool could change things, whether we like it or not.
That’s why this match is so important for him. With each win, Carrick’s claims to be a long-term manager became more and more likely.
If you win this, they become attractive. If he wins this, the job will definitely be his.
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