Just like the case of Jose Mourinho possibly reuniting with Real Madrid, the case of Michael Carrick is still facing many mixed opinions about whether Man United should officially appoint the English coach or not, although the team's performance has visibly improved in the past few months.
A poll in United We Stand magazine on Tuesday asked: "Who do you want to be the coach of Manchester United next season?". The results showed 27% chose Carrick, 3% chose "someone else" and 70% chose "If there is no ideal candidate, choose Carrick".
In his position as interim coach, Carrick has won 9/13 matches, helping Man United rise to 3rd place from 7th place in the rankings. The team currently has an average of 1.52 points/match to an average of 2.2 points/match.
As of before the 35th round of the Premier League, Man United only needed 2 points in the remaining 4 matches to ensure 100% participation in the UEFA Champions League next season, far exceeding the initial goal of winning a Europa League spot. The goal difference of the "Red Devils" has increased from +4 after 21 matches to +14 after 34 matches. Although they could not achieve a 100% winning rate, this change has been very significant.
Carrick's 69.2% win rate is better than any coach in Man United's history who has led the team for more than 10 matches. This rate is even higher than his own 66.6% in his interim position in 2021. Ruud van Nistelrooy's win rate is 75% after 3 wins/4 matches, including 2 wins against Leicester City who are struggling to stay in the league.
Although it is not yet known whether he will be officially appointed or not, if he has to leave Old Trafford after this season ends, Carrick still has the right to hold his head high for what he has done much better than expected.
Not only positive stats, what makes Carrick loved at this time is that he can win against strong teams in the Premier League such as Arsenal or Man City, even win convincingly. Not only that, the salary of Carrick and his colleagues is commented by The Athletic as very easy for Man United. If the team recruits a new team this summer, the amount to spend is not small in the context of needing to focus money to invest in improving countless positions in the squad.
Man United may not be as strong as when Sir Alex Ferguson was, but the attractiveness of the hot seat at Old Trafford has never disappeared. According to The Athletic, there have been countless offers from agents about their client wanting to replace Ruben Amorim after the Portuguese coach was sacked. Man United's upcoming return to the Champions League is what makes coaches even more want to try their hand here to replace Michael Carrick.
There are still many comments about Man United's playing style under Michael Carrick as it does not have a strong identity according to any school of thought. Perhaps when taking over the team, the English coach also wanted his own philosophy, but the current personnel situation does not allow for change. The result is the most concerned thing and Michael Carrick is doing much better than Ruben Amorim.
If the 44-year-old coach can stay and go another long journey together, surely this summer there will be more new names brought to Old Trafford to increase depth when the Champions League is already ahead.
Pressure on Carrick is also not small, even in the current interim period. After the poor results against Newcastle and Leeds, criticism has appeared, although not as often as Amorim's final period. No coach wins 100%, only who achieves their goal at the end of the season. Carrick is helping the team get closer to the door to return to the Champions League, which is the most realistic guarantee of achievement.
Carrick is managing a peaceful dressing room, eliminating some negative influences. The young coach is decisive when necessary and is not easily subdued. These are advantages when Carrick used to play for Man United, understanding the club's style. Not only that, Carrick is also very interested in the training academy when he regularly comes to watch the youth team's matches. This is a typical coach in the style of the "Red Devils" when considering Carrington as a launching pad, not necessarily expensive contracts bought in.
