Manchester United: Michael Carrick is the right choice at the right time – Reporter’s Notebook | Football news

Following the appointment of Michael Carrick as Manchester United manager until the end of the season, Sky Sports News reporter Dan Cann examines why he is the right choice for the club…

I’ve had the pleasure of spending some time with Michael Carrick over the past few months at two different charity events, the most recent being his foundation’s boot collection at Macclesfield FC.

As I spoke to him off camera, I was amazed.

We were in the room with former Rochdale player Luke Matheson, who scored against Manchester United aged 16 in the 2019 Carabao Cup.

Saturday, January 17 at 11:00 a.m

Start at 12:30

Carrick, who was part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s backroom staff at the time, recalled every moment of the game as he spoke to Matheson – whether it was match details or Rochdale’s coaching staff and where they are now.

One observation I have through my limited interactions with Carrick over these last few months is that he absolutely understands the importance of not only Manchester United, but how important football is as a vehicle to impact the community in various positive ways.

As he repeatedly said in his first interview with the club, ‘I’m one of them,’ he said, referring to the supporter base at Old Trafford.

You may ask, why is this important?

Carrick takes over a club that appears to be at an all-time low. Not just in terms of results and missed opportunities this season, but also in terms of morale and confidence – be it the players or the visitors to Old Trafford.

Being at Old Trafford after the 2-1 FA Cup defeat by Brighton, it wasn’t about the performance or even the result – more about what the loss meant in the larger context of where Manchester United are.

Call it the culmination of persistent mismanagement or a rude awakening from the slump years, the facts are the facts: this United team has hit record lows – whether it’s the first time they’ve been knocked out of both cups in the first round since 1982 or their worst season in 110 years.

The atmosphere at Old Trafford was also telling.

A crowd that has remained as patient as possible, that has been repeatedly praised for that same trait, loses faith in the team in front of them.

After 14 months of Ruben Amorim (mostly) defending his players to the media and trying to shield them from the noise, Darren Fletcher had a different message to send following their FA Cup exit.

In his latest press conference in the meantime, Fletcher reiterated that the onus must be on the players in the squad to step up and change the club’s fortunes. He even sounded emotional towards the end. The man who has seen the club’s greatest highlights left the impression that he was left more than unimpressed by what he saw.

And it makes you wonder what Carrick’s new backroom staff, which includes Steve Holland and Jonathan Woodgate, will find when they train for the first time this week.

Will it be a team still reeling from Amorim’s firing, which happened just a few weeks ago?

Amorim has made it clear that he essentially has to guard the players at Carrington and they cannot continue through training without him. I’m not sure that was actually the case, but it’s easy to forget that some, if not most, of this team now have five different coaching voices leading them since the start of last season.

A team needs consistency, time and most importantly – someone who can lead them.

Whether we see a repeat of the dismal spell led by former keeper Ralf Rangnick or the revival that Carrick’s competition for the role, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, led during his interim tenure… well, that’s what will make United an intriguing story for the rest of the season.

The good news for both Carrick and United fans is that they will have some much-needed firepower back in their squad when they take on Manchester City this weekend, with Amad Diallo and Brian Mbeumo both back from the AFCON.

As they have shown in recent years, once again this season, this team has seemingly performed better against ‘bigger’ opposition this season and recorded impressive wins against Liverpool and Newcastle United for example.

And who knows, maybe City will be the right opponent at the right time for this team.

Draws against Wolves, West Ham and Burnley in the last month have shown how much they struggle to break teams down, especially when sitting in a low-to-mid block and that’s the last thing you’d expect to see from a City side who feel like league entertainers at the moment.

Carrick – the right choice at the right time

We know United entertained two former players in Carrick and Solskjaer in the process, but it’s important to point out that the hierarchy – including director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada – would argue they didn’t want to capitalize on nostalgia.

Instead, they wanted a meeting that understood the club and could start working immediately, while also working within the current and relatively new management structure that has been implemented at the club.

Carrick certainly has the above. He spent 12 years at the club as a player while also working under Jose Mourinho and Solskjaer during his last coaching stint at the club.

A poised and determined individual who has grown since his last time at Old Trafford, it will be particularly intriguing to see Carrick develop the style of play he implemented at Middlesbrough. His 4-2-3-1 out of possession would turn into something more like a 3-2-5 when his side attacked, but his team may have lacked the firepower and flair needed to maximize that type of system.

It remains to be seen whether this United can show the fight and passion to save their season, but Carrick’s calm and collected approach makes for a real character at a time when this team can’t be lower in confidence and form.

But it’s almost pointless to look too closely at his time at Middlesbrough. He himself would admit how much he learned from his first permanent football managerial position and wisely stayed away from other positions to digest the two-and-a-half years he had at his previous club.

United right not to return to the Ole era…for now

Solskjaer felt like the right person to manage the club when he rejoined at the end of 2019. He gave United the help they needed after the end of the Jose Mourinho era.

Although he was sacked in November 2021 after a turbulent run of performances and results, he had an incredibly moving exit interview released by the club where he practically tearfully said goodbye.

There have been undeniable ups and downs from Solskjaer’s reign and perhaps if history had been altered – the Europa League final springs to mind – we might have framed his managerial pedigree differently with a European trophy to his name.

But do extensions often work, even if they are temporary?

Solskjaer’s return would be popular. There is no doubting his connection and relationship with the club and its fans, but there would be fair questions directed at the hierarchy.

Since INEOS’ investment, they have tried to modernize the club as much as they thought possible.

Remodeled and improved training ground; a more data-driven approach to recruitment and analysis; striving to become top of the class in several departments.

Going back to the meeting that worked under the previous regime led by Ed Woodward doesn’t feel very connected to the previous points mentioned.

Unfortunately for Norwegians, we cannot forget history. We have to remember how Solskjaer’s reign ended in a chaotic, sad way.

His last five matches at the club included a 5-0 home defeat by Liverpool, an incredibly one-sided 2-0 loss to Manchester City and a 4-1 defeat by Watford at Vicarage.

Context is also needed. Perhaps the drag on United fans is that, after finishing second in his second full season in charge, there is an argument that the rug has been pulled from under him instead of being allowed to develop his own system and style of play.

In the summer of 2021, when United needed to strengthen in midfield and a young long-term striker, the club re-signed 36-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo and added Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund.

Ronaldo threatened the counter-attacking style of football that Solskjaer tried to implement, while Sancho never found a home in the team.

So maybe Solskjaer deserves a reprieve because of how his managerial era at the club ended, but perhaps he needs to rebuild his career elsewhere before returning to Old Trafford in the future.

Watch Carrick’s first senior game as Manchester United host Man City on Saturday, live on Sky Sports. It starts at 12:30 p.m.

Manchester United’s next five matches

• January 17: Man City (H) – Premier League, kick-off at 12:30 p.m. live on Ski Sports
• January 25: Arsenal (A) – Premier League, kick-off 16.30, live on Ski Sports
• February 1: Fulham (H) – Premier League, kick-off at 2 p.m., live on Ski Sports
• February 7: Tottenham (H) – Premier League, start at 12.30
• February 10: West Ham (A) – Premier League, start at 20.15