Key Takeaways
- Carrick has moved United from seventh to third place since January.
- He has limited experience with only 17 games as a top-flight manager.
- Club officials worry how he will react when the team faces a crisis.
Michael Carrick could become the next permanent manager of Manchester United. The 44-year-old has been the temporary boss since early January.
When Carrick started, United were in seventh place. Now they are third. The team needs just two wins from their last five games to reach the Champions League. This would bring millions of pounds to the club owners.
But there is one big question. How will Carrick deal with bad results? Every United manager faces difficult times. Carrick has only managed 17 games at the top level. This is a very small amount of experience.
In his 12 matches, Carrick has won 26 points from 36 possible. This is the best record in the Premier League in that time. But doing well for a short time does not mean he will succeed long-term.
Some people look at Ole Gunnar Solskjær as a warning. The Norwegian did very well as a temporary boss but had problems after getting the permanent job. Carrick says these comparisons do not matter. But fans worry he is too calm. Can he change tactics when the team is losing? Can he motivate players when things go wrong?
The recent loss to Leeds shows these worries. United were losing 2-0 at half-time. Carrick waited until the 70th minute to make changes. In the win at Chelsea, the team played badly but won with a lucky goal. Are these small problems or signs of bigger trouble?
Sir Alex Ferguson left the club in 2013. Since then, six managers have tried to win the league title and failed. They are David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho, Erik ten Hag and Rúben Amorim.
The best choices would be coaches like Luis Enrique or Thomas Tuchel. But United rarely pick the top candidates. The director of football, Jason Wilcox, must decide if Carrick can become a top manager.