Michael Carrick has given the first sign that he wants to stay as Manchester United head coach beyond this season.
Carrick has avoided discussing his future at Old Trafford since taking over as Ruben Amorim’s temporary successor on 13 January. Unlike Amorim, he does not seek headlines or share sensitive matters the club would prefer to handle internally.
Carrick focused on improving United
When asked about Manchester United’s summer plans and his role in them, Carrick’s answer caught attention.
“Nothing’s changed, to be honest,” he said. “I’m fully aware of the role I’m doing here and the responsibility I’ve got. We want to be successful, and I want the club to be successful beyond the end of the season—if that’s me, if that’s somebody else. At this stage, I can’t control that and we’ll see what happens, but it’s certainly about trying to improve the team and making Manchester United stronger. Results over a short period of time don’t change that. If they have changed, there is something wrong. It can’t be so knee-jerk whether it’s really good or whether there are a few issues we need to solve.”
Carrick kept a measured tone when asked about United’s recent run of three straight wins since taking over from interim boss Darren Fletcher.
“I’m loving what I’m doing. I’m here,” he said. “I feel at home here, but I fully understand the situation, so I’m not getting too carried away.”
United plan careful managerial search
The club has promised to take its time when evaluating candidates to replace Amorim. One well-informed source familiar with appointing managers said signing a deal with a World Cup manager before the tournament carries serious risks, including potential negative publicity from the country involved.
Injury update and coaching team
Carrick confirmed Denmark international Patrick Dorgu could miss ten weeks after suffering a hamstring injury in last month’s win at Arsenal.
He also revealed that a Football Association connection between his brother Graeme and Steve Holland helped secure the former England and Chelsea assistant’s move to United. Holland now forms part of a coaching team that includes Jonathan Woodgate, Jonny Evans, and under-21 coach Travis Binnion. The team has been widely praised as a masterstroke.
Graeme Carrick worked in junior player development at St George’s Park while Holland joined Gareth Southgate with England’s under-21s over a decade ago.
“When talks were progressing and it looked like I might be coming in, I had conversations with my brother and we ended up mentioning Steve,” said Carrick. “He knew him from the FA and I have come across Steve a number of times. I was fully aware of his experience and quality and we clicked straight away. He grew up being a massive United fan, which helped to start with, but it was also his success at Chelsea, knowing what it takes to win trophies with different styles, different managers, and different types of players.”
