Man Utd: Carrick doubt as Ratcliffe stance emerges with INEOS to ‘wrap up process’ imminently | OneFootball

According to reports, Manchester United co-owner has a concern with interim boss Michael Carrick, with a decision to be made imminently.

Carrick has surpassed expectations since replacing Ruben Amorim at Man Utd, who have won eight of their last 12 games across all competitions.

This form has dramatically improved Man Utd‘s chances of securing Champions League qualification, and this has also boosted Carrick’s hopes of being named their next permanent manager.

Earlier this week, a report from journalist Ben Jacobs insisted Carrick is the current “frontrunner” for Man Utd, who intend to “wrap up this process” in “late April or early May”. 

Despite this, Carrick insisted on Friday that he is not putting pressure on INEOS to make a decision regarding his future.

“In terms of deadline, it’s not something I’m really chasing,” Carrick told reporters when asked about landing the Man Utd job permanently.

“It will become clear when it becomes clear.”

There have naturally been comparisons to former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer given that they would be named permanent manager in similar circumstances, but Carrick has hit back at these claims.

“I’ve got the utmost respect for him. He’s a close friend of mine and I worked closely with him when I was here. We did a lot of good things and came close,” Carrick added.

“You can compare all sorts of different situations with managers, coaches and teams over the years. But it’s irrelevant really. It really is.

“That’s not a negative or a positive. It just doesn’t have a link at all. We’re a different team now, irrespective of who’s in charge. Comparisons literally don’t make any difference.”

Ratcliffe’s “caution” over Carrick revealed

However, it appears that Ratcliffe is not fully sold on Carrick, with The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell revealing his “caution” about the interim boss.

“There’s a sense of some hesitancy, or some caution, from the hierarchy – who exactly is that?” Whitwell said on Talk of the Devils.

“I think Sir Jim Ratcliffe is a pivotal figure in this—on whether Carrick should get the job, whether he [Ratcliffe] would want somebody that is of a personality, a stature, that he would see as fitting Manchester United.”

Carrick has also broken down why he thinks there are “two sides” to the pressure for instant results as a manager.

“There are two sides to it,” Carrick responded when asked about the pressure of delivering instant results.

“There are instant results and the next game being important; but there’s definitely a responsibility, our thinking of what the future looks like and the bigger picture. There are all sorts of what-ifs in this world. Half full, half empty?

“I like to live my life in a positive way. I don’t think of what could go wrong, that doesn’t come into it. It’s what can be achieved. What success looks like.”