Manchester United appointed Michael Carrick as their interim head coach, and the former Middlesbrough boss is said to have as good a chance as anyone at getting the job permanently
Jonathan Woodgate and Steve Holland have helped Michael Carrick become the favourite to be Manchester United‘s next permanent head coach.
Carrick is now said to lead the race for that job according to The i Paper, and stands as good a chance as any external candidate, having impressed since replacing Ruben Amorim. The interim staying on next season suggests Holland and Woodgate are due to remain in their coaching roles, too.
The i Paper claims sources say they, along with fellow coaches Jonny Evans and Travis Binnion, have the “perfect balance”. One source reportedly said they were surprised a Premier League rival did not hire Holland, highlighting his ability and know-how.
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A long-time assistant at Chelsea before joining the England set-up, Holland’s experience has reputedly helped Carrick’s younger coaches to operate cohesively. Woodgate is one of those, having worked only at Bournemouth and Middlesbrough previously.
However, learning to speak Spanish while playing for Real Madrid during his playing career is said to have proved vital. Tactical insights from the former England international have surprised some, while the former defender’s individual work with Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro has also been highlighted.
Carrick has spoken at length to the BBC about his coaches. He said, “There’s a really strong group, and it feels like we’ve been together a long time, but we didn’t all know each other.
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“I didn’t really know Steve personally an awful lot. I thought it would come together nicely and was balanced, and there’s a reason why I wanted to bring Steve in.
“Jonathan… I had him at Middlesbrough – loyal, gets me, knows me, pushes me, challenges me… really good relationship. Jonny [Evans] knew the club. He’s been here so long and has a really good relationship with the players as well… loves coaching, loves helping, cares a lot.
“And then with Travis… the club needs the academy. It’s a massive part of this football club. I think there’s a really good balance with the responsibility of the academy, young players and then Jonathan and Jonny – being two of the best centre-backs you could come across in the last 20-25 years – to pass their information on.
“Steve – with his experience in so many ways… Chelsea, with change of managers and different styles of managers and top, top players, and England. All the staff are able to cope being around the environment, and I think that’s so important.
Carrick confirmed they challenge him, adding: “I can’t be right the whole time – it’s impossible. That’s why we’ve got a group of six in our office.
“We’ve all got strong opinions, but I think we all filter it, and it’s important that we have a connection and understanding of what direction we want to go in. We have to push each other, for sure.”
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