‘Clearly, we’re thinking about that’: Ratcliffe pressed on prospect of appointing Carrick permanently and CL pursuit | OneFootball

Sir Jim Ratcliffe was keen not to get caught up in any speculation over Manchester United’s next permanent manager.

The Red Devils co-owner was stopped by Sky Sports when attending the Formula One this weekend and, unsurprisingly, was put on the spot over who could be in the Old Trafford dugout long-term.

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What did Ratcliffe have to say about Carrick?

When asked about the job that current interim Michael Carrick is doing, having overseen six wins in his first eight games in charge, Ratcliffe responded: “He is doing an excellent job. Yeah, absolutely.”

He was then further pressed on whether Carrick could be appointed permanently, to which he responded: “No, not going there!”

Ratcliffe went on to add that United are on track to achieve their goal of qualifying for the Champions League by May, adding: “Clearly, we’re thinking about that, but there are still seven or eight games to go, so still a while yet.”

Why the United faithful would welcome the idea of Carrick staying permanently

From the fans’ perspective, plenty would like to see Carrick stay in the hot seat beyond the summer. 

He is a former Red who’s only ever spoken highly of the club (unlike some of his ex-teammates) but, crucially, he has done a phenomenal job since taking the reins in the aftermath of Ruben Amorim’s dismissal at the start of the year.

Not only has he got the side well amongst the UCL places, but he has also had them overtake Aston Villa in third, who travel to M16 tomorrow for a crunch clash at 2pm.

The complete turnaround that Carrick has orchestrated has left supporters pondering how United’s season could have looked had he been at the helm from the beginning of 2025/2026 – and INEOS chiefs are undoubtedly wondering the same.

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