THE BIG DEBATE: Michael Carrick will be announced as Manchester United’s interim manager, with the club set to wait until the summer to decide on Ruben Amorim’s permanent successor
The decision has been made. Michael Carrick is Manchester United’s interim manager until the end of the season, edging out Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the pair held talks with the scrambling Old Trafford hierarchy.
Carrick, 44, will take the wheel on an interim basis, as United fight for Champions League football between now and May. But what about beyond that?
Could the ex-Middlesbrough boss do what Solskjaer did in 2019 and convince United to give him the job permanently? Or should the Red Devils look elsewhere for Ruben Amorim’s long-term successor?
We asked the Mirror Football team who they think United’s manager will be come August.
READ MORE: Manchester United monitor PSG boss Luis Enrique as contract situation gives hopeREAD MORE: Darren Fletcher turns down first-team Manchester United role under Michael Carrick
Andy Dunn
Forget the interim title, Michael Carrick is the Manchester United manager and will be next season if he takes the club into the Champions League. It is a 17-match audition and the equation is if he wins a lot more than he loses, the permanent gig is his.
Carrick is no rookie. He managed 136 games at Middlesbrough, a big and challenging club to look after. He is 44 years of age, approaching what some would consider to be a prime age for modern management.
Bringing in Steve Holland is a shrewd move and United only have 17 matches in four months. They should be fit and fresh for every game, and have a talented squad that has clearly been under-achieving.
No, Carrick is not a big managerial name but he has potential and was hugely respected as a player. And don’t forget, if penny-pinching Sir Jim Ratcliffe can avoid paying a king’s ransom for a marquee appointment – a Thomas Tuchel or the like – he will.
The job is Carrick’s to lose.
Who do you think will manage Manchester United next season? Let us know your pick in the comments section.
Jeremy Cross
Given the size of the challenge, United need to appoint a proven winner. Someone with experience of handling the pressures and expectations of a huge club. A manager with great leadership and the kudos to be able to persuade top-class players to sign for United.
Which means United bosses have a small pool to work with. Thomas Tuchel would be too combustible, Carlo Ancelotti is unlikely to want the job, while Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t quite tick all of the above boxes. And supporters would desert the club if Gareth Southgate is appointed.
Which means United should move heaven and earth to lure Luis Enrique to Old Trafford. He does tick all the boxes and appears to be the right man to lead United back to the big time.
Ben Husband
United can dress this up as an interim appointment all they like, but if he does well, there is no chance they get rid and start again. Carrick feels like an ideal appointment for INEOS and the bumbling bunch of ‘experts’ in place at Old Trafford.
He will give players freedom, trust the club’s academy and – perhaps most importantly – not kick up a fuss at being told which players they are signing. The club clearly isn’t set up to be run by an all-controlling manager, that isn’t what they want. Carrick might be.
I can see United finishing the season in the top four. That should be enough to keep him in the dugout until at least this time next year.
Tom Victor
Manchester United have tried all manner of new appointments since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. They’ve had the hand-picked successor (David Moyes), the born winner (Jose Mourinho), the ‘knows the club’ option (Ole Gunnar Solskjaer), the interim ship-steadier (Ralf Rangnick), the flavour-of-the-month overseas option (Erik ten Hag) and the ‘seems to hate everyone at the club’ option (Ruben Amorim).
After all that, what’s left? The ideal would presumably be someone who can give the players the big hug they need while also being a tactical maverick and never arguing with the higher-ups.
Oh, and also United should get a prize for appointing them, maybe a lollipop and a pat on the back for being the smartest boy in the class. Sadly for them, we don’t live in fantasy land and they might need to, shock horror, compromise on some things.
Either that or wait until England win the World Cup and get Thomas Tuchel on board at a point where there’s enough goodwill to get them through those difficult first few months. Sure, let’s go with that.
Dan Marsh
Michael Carrick could put himself right in the shop window with a decent six-month spell or so but I don’t think he’ll be the next permanent Manchester United manager. There’s been lots of talk of Oliver Glasner after his work at Crystal Palace but the United job is bigger than it’s ever been.
So for me, it’s a no-brainer: go and get Thomas Tuchel after the World Cup. I’m still not really sure why Chelsea decided to sack Tuchel and if there’s even a remote chance that he can be lured back to the Premier League after overseeing England’s World Cup campaign, then surely the Old Trafford powerbrokers have to to take it – even if that means a less than ideal start to pre-season given (hopefully) Tuchel will be tied up to the very end of the tournament.
Compared to the other names in the frame, Tuchel is the standout option. He has the pedigree to take on a job like Manchester United, plus Premier League experience to boot. It’s a long way back for United, but if anyone can get them back on the right track, surely it’s Tuchel.
Samuel Meade
Oliver Glasner. Provided he doesn’t finish his Crystal Palace stint with a whimper, the Austrian will be a man in demand. In all honesty, even if things don’t end well, he’s done more than enough at Selhurst Park to prove himself and it is well documented that he’s consistently lost his best players.
His contract in up in the summer and he’s not been shy in voicing his frustration, wishing the club had backed him more in the market. Easy to forget, he also has a Europa League win with Eintracht Frankfurt on his CV and his playing style has attracted plenty of plaudits.
The only question mark is his ability to take charge of a heavyweight club, something he’s not done yet. Glasner has all the hallmarks of someone who can step up and this feels like the point in his career when taking on that challenge is right.
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
