It had to be Michael Carrick.
While it may not have been officially confirmed at the time of writing, all the signs for his appointment as permanent manager of Manchester United are there. I would be shocked if the club went in another direction now.
Champions League football is secured, he has the dressing room, he understands and loves the club, and just as an extra cherry on the top, he’s a club legend. That last point doesn’t make him any better as a manager, but it does add something to the equation.
Carrick has done everything the club asked of him since he took on the interim manager position, yet there are still many in the fan base who would prefer someone else to take the permanent spot.
It’s true that next season will be different, with far more games and increased pressure. This would be new territory for Carrick. Yes, there are available managers out there who have experienced this increased load at the highest level. But not with English clubs. For every name you throw at me, I can throw back a “yeah but”, and explain the risk. So why upset the apple cart?
For me, Michael Carrick isn’t about to be appointed as the permanent manager of Manchester United, he already is.
Comparing Him to Ole
For me, this is the dumbest issue a United fan could have.
“It’s Ole 2.0! It’s just going to be Solskjaer all over again!”
No, it’s not.
They are two completely different people, who took the job at completely different times, with an almost entirely different squad of players and different owners.
I recognise they are both club legends who came in on an interim basis and were then made permanent, but that’s where the similarities end. You may as well worry that they have the same colour eyes.
And anyway, Solskjaer had us finishing second and third with a 54.17% win ratio – that’s better than Louis van Gaal, better than Ralf Rangnick, and certainly better than Ruben Amorim. I accept that it was hard to recognise a repeatable system during his time, the Ole ball and Moments FC nicknames didn’t come from nowhere, but can the same be said of Carrick?
It’s perhaps too early to say, but it doesn’t seem that way.
Carrick is dealing with a very thin squad of players, many of whom were bought for a system that he does not play. But there is clearly structure to what he does. He reinstated a back four, usually playing a 4-2-3-1 formation in possession with a double pivot which gives more protection and a more familiar shape through midfield. He has often used back-three rotations during build-up, with one full-back pushing higher while the other side gives the centre-backs an extra passing option.
Out of possession, it has often looked more like a 4-4-2, with Bruno Fernandes stepping up alongside the striker or centre-forward to help screen passes into midfield. It’s something he did during his time at Middlesbrough, too, so he definitely has a philosophy.
That said, we haven’t exactly been thrilling every week.
It’s been more pragmatic than exciting at times, and a fair concern is that we have been creating fewer chances. However, our chance conversion rate is one of the best in the league, and he has won more points during his time in charge than any other Premier League manager. So there is light and shade here, but comparisons with Ole are lazy, because he 100% has a system.
Is it the right system long term? That’s up for debate, and again, he hasn’t exactly had a full squad of dependable players to work with. I suspect he has more ideas we are yet to see. But the idea that this is just another version of vibes football just doesn’t hold up.
Any Other Coach Is A Risk Too
People are calling the appointment of Carrick a risk.
Well guess what? Appointing any other coach would be a risk too. Erik ten Hag was not a people person and brought the mood down at the club. Amorim didn’t win the players or the fans over. The vibe at Old Trafford has been depressing for years. Now it’s not. Because of Carrick.
In fact, I think Carrick is less of a risk than some star name. Why? Because he is already here, already doing well, and everyone seems to like him. We know what we are getting, and he may well be able to improve on it after the transfer window.
A star name manager – if there was anyone suitable available – wouldn’t necessarily do well in Manchester just because they have done well somewhere else:
- Xabi Alonso – Might not suit the Premier League.
- Andoni Iraola – Has never managed a club the size of Manchester United.
- Xavi Hernandez – Never worked in England, might not settle.
- Gareth Southgate – I’m kidding, just stop it.
These are not reasons to dismiss them. They are reasons to stop pretending any of them would be a risk-free appointment. There are so many unknowns with literally anyone else that simply don’t exist with Carrick.
The club feels more stable now, more consistent, and I think we need more of that. Even if we don’t win anything next year but finish top 5, I would accept that over yet another manager change. We can move on again later if necessary, but it’s much easier for a new manager coming in to a club with calm seas than one in the middle of chaos. Carrick keeps things calm, and he’s unlikely to crash us into another 15th place finish.
Just let him have a go. He’s earned it.