Michael Carrick takes massive step towards landing Man United job | OneFootball

Manchester United’s executive structure is set to recommend that Michael Carrick be offered the permanent head coach role to Sir Jim Ratcliffe next week, according to a new report.

The impressive interim

It feels like a lifetime ago that Carrick took the reins from Ruben Amorim following the Portuguese tactician’s dismissal in January. Having beaten out Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to land the job, the former Red Devil was handed one objective in his role as interim coach: secure Champions League football.

What has followed would have been beyond even INEOS’s most optimistic predictions, with United enjoying the best run of form of any side in the Premier League under Carrick.

A return to Europe’s elite competition was clinched with the pulsating 3-2 victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford, capped off by a winning goal from Kobbie Mainoo – the 21-year-old midfielder whom Amorim had frozen out of the picture, but whom Carrick immediately reinstated to the starting eleven.

This is not the only astute decision the Wallsend native has made, however. A shift to a more narrow 4-2-3-1, designed to protect Casemiro while redeploying Bruno Fernandes to his rightful role as creator-in-chief as a No.10, has been as effective as it was simple.

The management of Benjamin Sesko, a player Amorim publicly stated was struggling, has also been excellent, with the Slovenian striker in red-hot form courtesy of Carrick’s wisdom to first use him as an option off the bench against tired legs.

Off the pitch, there have also been marked improvements, with much more focus paid towards the academy – a foundational part of United’s identity – and press conferences have turned from box-office drama to more cordial affairs. INEOS are understood to have been impressed by Carrick’s hand in both.

It’s little surprise, therefore, that Laurie Whitwell (The Athletic) has now revealed the hierarchy, headed by Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox, are now set to present the interim boss as the best candidate for the job full-time.

Tweet: “Michael Carrick in line for permanent Manchester United head coach job, with recommendation being made by football leaders to executive committee, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Set to pave way for talks on new contract.”

Stick or Twist

Behind the scenes, United have been conducting a comprehensive review over who should be selected to lead the next stage of INEOS’s revolution at M16. The previous two choices – an extension for Erik ten Hag and then Amorim to replace the Dutchman – have ended in abject failure, hence the caution this time around.

The primary target is Paris Saint-Germain’s Luis Enrique, though a move for the Spaniard was never considered feasible. Big-name alternatives such as Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti and Julian Nagelsmann, three options with the gravitas Ratcliffe is believed to want, have also been ruled out due to their World Cup commitments.

This left United with the choice of sticking with Carrick, or twisting with a similarly untested option like Oliver Glasner or Andoni Iraola. In the end, Wilcox and Berrada have chosen to keep their hand, rather than reaching for another.

Whitwell writes: “Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox feel Carrick is the right man to lead United into next season, and are ready to make the proposal to Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

“United’s co-owner is the ultimate decision-maker on major calls, and as such it has not yet been ratified, but all indications point to Carrick remaining in charge. The Glazer family, who own the majority of shares, are content to allow Ratcliffe to lead on football matters.”

An executive meeting is scheduled this week to lay out the proposal to the British billionaire, with Ratcliffe having spoken to Carrick directly before the Liverpool match.

Final Thoughts

Previously, Ratcliffe has explained that he will leave major football decisions to the executives he has entrusted to run the club. The fact that Carrick has the backing of Berrada and Wilcox will prove key to getting the sign-off from the 73-year-old co-owner.

At this stage, it would be a bombshell twist for Ratcliffe to reject the advice to appoint Carrick, with a sense that an announcement may come at this weekend’s clash with Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford.

Featured image Alex Livesey via Getty Images

online polls

The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social