Michael Carrick

Who Stands to Gain and Suffer From Michael Carrick's Permanent Man Utd Takeover

22 May 2026 6 min read 0 views

Manchester United's new chapter has officially kicked off, with Michael Carrick handed a permanent managerial role after an impressive audition that turned the club's fortunes around in the back half of the season.

Carrick hit the ground running, guiding the side to consecutive victories over Manchester City and Arsenal in his opening two matches. The Red Devils have claimed 11 wins from 16 games under his watch, accumulating 36 points from a possible 48 and suffering only two defeats. That stands as the finest record in the division over the same stretch and has secured their place in the Champions League.

Heading into the final weekend of the season, United have already locked up a third-place finish—just the fifth top-three result in 13 years since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down in 2013. Ole Gunnar Solskjær accounted for two of those finishes in 2019–20 and 2020–21, while José Mourinho (2017–18) and Erik ten Hag (2022–23) each contributed one.

Just a year removed from a record-low Premier League campaign under Ruben Amorim, there is a renewed sense of excitement around Old Trafford ahead of 2026–27. The squad still requires reinforcements, but the foundations of a competitive team are in place, and Champions League football will bring in considerable additional income.

Yet while Carrick's confirmation as manager is welcome news for many, not everybody comes out on top.

Winners

Kobbie Mainoo

Kobbie Mainoo's journey this season is almost hard to fathom. The academy-bred midfielder failed to earn a single Premier League start before Ruben Amorim's exit in early January. Under Carrick, he has featured from the off in 15 of 16 league games, sitting out just one due to injury—a match United went on to lose.

Carrick, himself a highly accomplished deep-lying playmaker, openly appreciates what Mainoo brings to the center of the park and has backed the 21-year-old from the very beginning.

A manager's personal preferences can make or break a player's career, and it had already threatened to derail Mainoo's once. With Carrick firmly in his corner, his development looks set to go from strength to strength.

Bruno Fernandes

Bruno Fernandes has been given the license in recent months to express himself and demonstrate beyond any doubt both his elite-level quality and the fact that he was never the source of the club's problems.

The club captain has had several chances to depart in recent transfer windows and opted to stay on each occasion. That loyalty has been repaid, with Carrick's system unlocking his ability to create opportunities and pile up assists in a way that had previously been constrained.

'United DNA'

Carrick is living proof that the elusive concept of 'United DNA' genuinely counts for something. With 15 years at the club as a player, it is no accident that his influence has been so transformative. The same was true under Solskjær—the manager who delivered the most consistent Premier League finishes in the post-Ferguson era—as someone equally attuned to the club's culture and identity.

United have reached greater heights under Louis van Gaal, Mourinho and Ten Hag, but have also sunk lower, and there is simply no replacement for truly 'knowing' the club.

That tradition was established under Sir Matt Busby and continued through Ferguson's reign. United supporters demand quick, direct football with an emphasis on chance creation and goals. Carrick has restored that by dismantling the overly complex tactical frameworks that had been in place before him.

Sometimes, the straightforward approach works best.

Homegrown Talent

During his playing days, Carrick progressed through the youth system at West Ham United, earning a regular first-team spot from the age of 19. He is well aware of a similar ethos at Old Trafford and has already hinted at a strong desire to nurture and promote young talent.

"A massive part of me, and for this football club, is to try and bring the younger players on and give them opportunities to see what they can do, for sure," he said this month.

In time, that could even extend to 15-year-old wonderkid JJ Gabriel from the upcoming season.

Losers

Ruben Amorim

The former boss was ultimately a poor fit for the club. His transfer activity created divisions within the senior leadership structure, eventually contributing to the short-lived tenure of Dan Ashworth as sporting director, and the tactical approach the Portuguese coach sought to impose was never well-suited to the players at his disposal.

Carrick's achievements—both during the interim spell and now as permanent manager—stand in sharp contrast to the Amorim era. The fact that the very same group of players who had previously struggled for consistency has emerged as the Premier League's most in-form side over four months is a damning indictment of the former manager, who was widely criticised for overcomplicating matters.

Andoni Iraola

Had Carrick not performed as impressively as he did and effectively forced United's hand into giving him the permanent role, there is every chance Andoni Iraola could have been settling into the manager's chair at Carrington ahead of next season.

The Spaniard has guided Bournemouth to the verge of Champions League qualification, with European football of some kind already secured for next term at the Vitality Stadium. His high-energy style of play had the makings of something that could have resonated strongly at Old Trafford, and Iraola has built a reputation for elevating already gifted players to new levels.

At one point, Iraola was considered the most—and perhaps the only—credible alternative to Carrick that United's hierarchy had in mind. But the job has not come his way.

Roy Keane

Former United skipper Roy Keane, who had departed the club just months before Carrick arrived as a player in 2006, made no secret of his opposition to Carrick's potential appointment as far back as January.

After the interim manager had engineered a win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium—largely by stripping things back and reconnecting with the club's core identity—Keane insisted Carrick was "absolutely not" the right man to lead the team on a permanent basis.

"If United win every game until the end of the season, I still wouldn't be giving him the job. I still wouldn't be convinced he's the man for the job," Keane declared live on Sky Sports. "They need a bigger and better manager. Are we going to sit here and believe Michael Carrick can get United winning league titles? It's not enough for me."

Keane had also revisited a long-standing dispute with Carrick's wife, Lisa, who had publicly criticised the retired midfielder back in 2014. He referenced her "big mouth" when her husband was confirmed in the role 12 years on.

Manuel Ugarte

Manuel Ugarte's stint as a Manchester United player may now be coming to an end.

The Uruguayan international, who has found it difficult to cement his place in the Premier League across two seasons following his high-profile move from Paris Saint-Germain, has made just one start under Carrick—which happened to be one of only two losses the team has suffered since January.

There had always been a chance that Ugarte might have rediscovered his best form under a different incoming manager, but Carrick's confirmation as permanent boss effectively cements the squad preferences that have been on display over the past several months.