Man Utd to nominate Michael Carrick after senior stars intervened to reject Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
EXCLUSIVE: Michael Carrick is set to be named as Manchester United’s interim manager until the end of the season, after senior players rejected Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s return
Michael Carrick is set to return to Manchester United as interim manager(Image: Matthew Peters, Manchester United via Getty Images)
Manchester United have turned to Michael Carrick as their interim manager, following a rejection of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s return by some senior players.
Carrick will be at the helm until the season’s end, marking his second spell in charge. Solskjaer was initially tipped to replace the recently sacked Ruben Amorim and had even been interviewed twice for the position.
However, the Norwegian was ruled out after several players expressed their lack of confidence in him to club chiefs, voicing their preference for Carrick to guide them through the rest of the season.
Solskjaer managed the club from 2018 to 2021, but was shown the door after securing victories in just 54 per cent of his 168 matches in charge.
The announcement of Carrick’s appointment is anticipated within the next 24 hours, following a selection process overseen by chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox. The 44-year-old is expected to conduct his first training session on Wednesday, gearing up for his debut match this weekend when United lock horns with local rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford.
It’s set to be a feisty start for Carrick, given United’s recent form of just one win in their last seven games across all competitions. Carrick previously stepped in as interim manager for three games following Solskjaer’s departure.
Carrick managed two victories and a draw before stepping aside following Ralf Rangnick’s appointment as interim manager. He has been jobless since his dismissal from Championship side Middlesbrough in June.
Under Carrick’s leadership, Boro reached the Championship play-offs in the 2022-23 season, only to be defeated by Coventry in the semi-finals. His team then narrowly missed out on the top six in back-to-back seasons, leading to Carrick’s departure.
The ex-England midfielder, who made 464 appearances for United and clinched 18 major trophies including the Champions League title in 2008, joined Jose Mourinho’s coaching team at United after hanging up his boots at the end of the 2017-18 season.
When Mourinho was given the boot, Carrick remained as a first-team coach throughout Solskjaer’s 168-match tenure.
Darren Fletcher has taken the reins at United for the last two matches following Amorim’s sacking. The under-18s coach presided over a 2-2 stalemate with Burnley in the Premier League and a 2-1 loss to Brighton in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.
