Carrick has taken two huge scalps on his return to the Old Trafford dugout, having gone three unbeaten in his 2021 stint as interim when Solskjaer was sacked. However, there is debate over whether he should get the United job in the long term, similar to how Solskjaer went from caretaker to permanent manager in 2019.
Roy Keane has said: "I think if United win every game from now until the end of the season, I still wouldn't be giving him the job. I just think they need a bigger, more experienced manager. Simple as that."
Gary Neville added: "I don’t believe he's the man to get Manchester United back winning league titles. I think it's right that Michael Carrick keeps the job until the end of the season and hands the baton over to a Thomas Tuchel or a Carlo Ancelotti, someone of world class ilk. That's what his job is now."
However, the duo's former team-mate, Rio Ferdinand, has hit out at those comments and called for more support in Carrick. "Michael Carrick's come in and turned the collar up on his long trench coat and said: 'Listen guys, get behind me, I'm gonna put you in a structure that's gonna actually suit the players that we have, we're gonna be hard to play against, we're gonna work hard, and we're gonna be a threat. And, by the way, guys, my first two games are Man City and Arsenal'.
"He's gone and got six points! And people are telling me that, no matter what Michael Carrick does, he shouldn't get the opportunity to manage Man United. Where the hell are you people coming from? The disrespect is unbelievable. For somebody to say, no matter what this person does, he doesn't deserve to be given the keys to Man United, on what grounds are you saying that? That's mad talk."