Carrick gets huge next Man Utd manager ‘boost’ amid Enrique ‘serious push’ claims | OneFootball

Michael Carrick has been given a boost by news that Man Utd are yet to speak to other candidates for the permanent job, according to reports.

The Red Devils sacked Ruben Amorim in January and replaced the Portuguese head coach with Carrick until the end of the season.

After being held to a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth over the weekend, Man Utd have now won seven, drawn two and lost one of their ten matches under Carrick.

That has put the former Man Utd midfielder in a perfect position to land the job on a permanent basis in the summer with the Red Devils board under pressure to make the right decision.

On Monday, chief football writer for The Independent, Miguel Delaney, revealed that the chances of Man Utd making a move for Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique are increasing.

Writing in his latest newsletter, Delaney explained: ‘Manchester United insiders say that Luis Enrique is the name increasingly being mentioned, with the club reportedly willing to make a serious push to secure him.

‘You might wonder why he would leave PSG now, but there is growing speculation that he will depart in the summer, and he has long expressed a desire to work in the Premier League.’

But Sky Sports are now claiming that Carrick’s chances of landing the permanent job have been given a ‘boost’ as Man Utd ‘have still not made contact with any other potential candidates’.

There is growing pressure to appoint Carrick permanently now but Man Utd ‘will continue to ignore those calls, until such time as they are convinced Carrick is the right man to take the club forward long-term’.

Sky Sports adds: ‘The fact that Thomas Tuchel has recently signed a contract extension with England and Carlo Ancelotti has said he plans to do the same with Brazil, has further strengthened Carrick’s claim to remain in charge at Old Trafford.

‘If United decide to appoint someone else, they are determined that it will be a manager of stature and experience, who can cope with the magnitude of the job and the media scrutiny, and so Ancelotti and Tuchel would likely have been high up on the list of candidates the club would want to speak to.’

Man Utd legend Gary Pallister insists that the Red Devils couldn’t have asked for any more from Carrick during his short tenure in charge.

Pallister told Boyle Sports: “It’s difficult to know without being on the training pitch. He’ll have respect from the players. He’s been there, won big trophies with Manchester United before, he knows the history and the tradition of the club, knows the expectations – he dealt with them as a player.

“So, he’s got that on his side coming into the management role at the club.”

Noting key changes, he added: “But the simple answer is he’s gone to a back four, brought Kobbie Mainoo – who looked like a real star when breaking through – back into the team after being left out for so long. He made that decision to bring him back and just changed the style, trying to bring what looks like a positive attitude back into the side.”

Pallister continued: “He’s done a really good job, he cut his teeth at Middlesbrough. I watched a lot of the games at Middlesbrough when he was manager there, and I’ve got to say, it was probably the most exciting brand of football I’ve ever seen at a Middlesbrough match, albeit in the Championship.

“So, I think he’s maybe just brought a bit more freedom to the players. I think a lot of the players are used to playing a back four, and it’s just had positive results. You can’t ask any more of Michael and the job he’s done.”