Next Man Utd manager ‘down to two options’ as Carrick makes most public appeal yet for job | OneFootball

Michael Carrick is adamant he ticks plenty of boxes when it comes to becoming the next Manchester United manager, after it was reported that the 44-year-old now has to battle off just one other contender to take the job on a full-time basis.

The Red Devils have made remarkable strides since Carrick was appointed interim boss in January following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal, rising to third in the Premier League and strong contenders to secure Champions League football for next season. Indeed, ahead of Monday night’s clash against old rivals Leeds United at Old Trafford, Manchester United have won seven of his 10 games in charge, giving him an impressive 70% win percentage record and having suffered just one loss in 10 games.

While it has been well over three weeks since their last game, Carrick has taken his players away on a mid-season training camp to Dublin, and the 44-year-old now believes he knows exactly what it takes to become the manager permanently.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Carrick said: “There are parts of [what comes with being Manchester United manager] – and I am not being blasé when I say it – that I have known for so long.

“The pressure is something I have lived with for a long time.

“What’s expected here, how to go about achieving things, the amount of support we have, and the scrutiny is something that becomes normal after a while.

“It does not feel as big as it probably looks from the outside for me personally.”

Asked if he would like some clarity on his own future, Carrick says: “I understand the situation, and where we were at when we came back in January, the plan for the rest of the season and the possibilities in the summer. I don’t think that’s changed.

“Things will get sorted when they get sorted. For me, it’s just about doing the best job that we can and plan for the future and the good of the club and the players in the squad. I am not coming to get through to the end of the season and deal with what’s next.

“I think it’s important we make a plan and follow that through for the squad to get stronger. If I am part of it, then I am part of it. If not, then that is the situation I walked into.”

While that is as close to a public pitch for the permanent job as Carrick is ever likely to make, TEAMtalk sources have long made it clear that the former Middlesbrough boss is firmly on course to become the next permanent head coach at United, and while a final decision will not be made until the end of the season, club bosses have at least opted against pursuing talks with two world-class coaches.

Despite ignoring the credentials of two leading Spaniards, new reports claim there is another contender still in the mix to pip Carrick to the role….

Next Manchester United manager: Carrick battling one major rival for job

Indeed, former Everton CEO Keith Wyness – who is still well-connected in the Premier League – insists that only one man can prevent Carrick taking the job full-time this summer.

And he is “hearing” that United are “either going” for Carrick or Germany national team coach Julian Nagelsmann as their next permanent boss.

Wyness told Football Insider: “When I looked into it a bit further, the Pochettino contract actually goes into August after the World Cup.

“There’s about three or four weeks of wrap-up time, so there would have to be some sort of settlement with the US team to be able to make that happen. I don’t see it happening.

“United want to get somebody there, and I think it’s either going to be Carrick or Nagelsmann. That’s what I’m hearing. Those are the two options.

“Carrick has got to be the favourite, he’s doing well. We all know that, and there’d be a real problem with the fans if he didn’t get the job, if they qualify for the Champions League, which it looks like they got a very good chance of doing.

“It’s those two names. [Mauricio] Pochettino is a bit of a red herring, and it could be United trying to find some sort of alternative rumour out there to negotiate with somebody like a Nagelsmann.

“They’re trying to set the scene that there’s other people they can go to. But it’s a two-horse race, which is where it stands from my point of view.”

Man Utd latest: Red Devils keen on Champ wonderkid; Elliot Anderson hope

With regards the dismissal of Amorim, the club’s captain, Bruno Fernandes, has made a rather surprising admission on the Portuguese coach that will leave many supporters scratching their heads.

On the transfer front, TEAMtalk is aware that United are one of a number of Premier League clubs that want to make a move for a super-talented 16-year-old Championship star, who already has one goal and two assists to his name despite his tender years.

And sources can reveal the Red Devils are one of three major sides all looking to sign the teenager to professional terms when the player in question turns 17 later in July.

Elsewhere, Manchester United hope to use a ‘secret weapon’ to win the Elliot Anderson transfer race as Carrick also demands a second £100m signing this summer, per a report.