Michael Carrick's Dramatic Rise: Inside His Game-Changing Interim Reign at Man Utd

The Manchester United pattern following Sir Alex Ferguson's era is painfully predictable, and the Red Devils have now reached the 'recall a Ferguson protégé to stabilize matters' stage.

Ruben Amorim's exit as head coach, rather than manager, puts the club at yet another turning point. Following their FA Cup elimination on Sunday, United are poised for their briefest campaign in terms of matches played in more than a hundred years, though their current Premier League position suggests that simple consistency in the season's latter half could secure them a place in the 2026–27 Champions League.

Speculation emerged about Ole Gunnar Solskjær making a return to Old Trafford in a temporary capacity, and the Norwegian's initial tenure appears increasingly favorable with each subsequent appointment. Nevertheless, United have chosen a different recognizable figure.

Michael Carrick, or "Carrot," if you're adopting a Louis van Gaal-style pronunciation, returns for another opportunity. The former England midfielder brings senior management experience from Middlesbrough, having previously worked under José Mourinho and Solskjær's coaching teams at the Theatre of Dreams.

Following Solskjær's departure in 2021, Carrick stepped in as interim manager before Ralf Rangnick unfortunately assumed control and guided the club through their most disappointing Premier League season until Erik ten Hag and Amorim delivered devastating results in 2024–25.

With Carrick returning until the conclusion of the 2025–26 season—serving as interim head coach—here's an examination of his previous tenure's performance.

Carrick's Three-Match Display Mostly Encouraging

Carrick's Three-Match Display Mostly Encouraging

Carrick's three-match demonstration stood among the bright spots of an otherwise disappointing 2021–22 season for Man Utd, and the reserved midfielder secured the Boro position within a year.

Carrick began with a Champions League fixture away at Villarreal, with the 13-time Premier League champions still smarting from a humiliating 4–1 loss at Watford that ended Solskjær's reign. The interim manager made four alterations from the Vicarage Road defeat, most significantly introducing Donny van de Beek in place of Bruno Fernandes.

They owed David de Gea for preventing the deadlock from being broken as the final quarter approached, with the Spanish keeper making two superb stops to thwart Manu Trigueros. Unai Emery's Yellow Submarine dominated much of the encounter, but Cristiano Ronaldo punished the hosts' wastefulness by giving United a 78th-minute advantage.

Jadon Sancho extended the visitors' lead, and United maintained their composure to achieve their first clean sheet in 15 matches, while simultaneously gaining revenge for their Europa League final loss from the prior campaign. The victory secured their knockout stage qualification, though Rangnick couldn't guide the Red Devils past Atlético Madrid in the round of 16.

Their display in Spain demonstrated character and determination, with some optimism returning before a challenging visit to Stamford Bridge just five days afterward.

It had become evident that Rangnick, rather than Mauricio Pochettino or Ernesto Valverde, would assume responsibility for the season's remainder, and Carrick had to clarify post-match in west London that the German had no influence on his team selection against Chelsea.

Carrick made the bold decision to bench Ronaldo, choosing to strengthen his midfield, and United earned a 1–1 stalemate. A Jorginho penalty salvaged a point for Thomas Tuchel's team in the second half after Sancho exploited an error from the Italian to put United ahead.

His concluding match took place at Old Trafford, with the Red Devils confronting an Arsenal team that was finally displaying progress under Mikel Arteta. Carrick restored Ronaldo to his starting eleven and the Portuguese contributed significantly to United's 3–2 victory.

Rangnick observed from the directors' box as the Gunners claimed a disputed lead through Emile Smith Rowe, with the then-emerging Arsenal talent scoring into an unguarded net after De Gea sustained an injury that left him immobilized on his goal line. A chaotic match followed, with United establishing a 2–1 advantage before Martin Ødegaard equalized for the visitors. However, Arsenal's future captain was subsequently penalized for fouling Fred in the penalty box, enabling Ronaldo to convert the decisive spot-kick.

After the match, Carrick described United's thrilling victory as the "perfect" farewell, likely not anticipating a return to the same situation later on. He now has until the season's end to demonstrate his qualifications for a possible permanent appointment.

Michael Carrick Man Utd Management Statistics

Michael Carrick Man Utd Management Statistics