Joe Cole has now highlighted an important comparison between Manchester United interim head coach Michael Carrick and former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola.
Michael Carrick is all too familiar with Pep Guardiola after playing under Sir Alex Ferguson and encountering the Spaniard’s famous Barcelona teams of the past.
Fast-forward from playing against Barcelona when Guardiola was manager to 2026 when Carrick crossed paths with the 55-year-old in the dugout in January.
Carrick’s interim Manchester United managerial reign kicked off against Guardiola’s Manchester City side and the Red Devils claimed a stunning 2-0 victory on the day.
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Michael Carrick during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace at Old Trafford in 2026 in Manchester, England.
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Why Joe Cole feels Man Utd legend Michael Carrick has an ‘advantage’ over Pep Guardiola and Zinedine Zidane
Michael Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim in the Old Trafford dugout in the short term and the 44-year-old has had an emphatic start to life as interim head coach.
The Red Devils have won six of their seven Premier League matches under Manchester United legend Carrick since his return to Old Trafford in January.
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United are third in the Premier League table now and Carrick’s men are only eight points adrift from Pep Guardiola’s title-challenging Manchester City side.
Joe Cole insisted that Carrick has been better positioned at United than Guardiola or Zinedine Zidane were during their respective spells at Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Speaking on The Dressing Room Podcast, he said: “If I’m Manchester United, I’m looking at the two other great clubs in Spain.
“They’ve brought managers in through their B team. So less experienced in management than Michael Carrick when they took over at Real Madrid and Barcelona. One was Pep Guardiola and one was Zinedine Zidane.”
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Michael Carrick celebrates after the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester United at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in 2026 in Liverpool, England.
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Why Joe Cole reveals what Pep Guardiola and Zinedine Zidane share in ‘common’ with Man Utd interim boss Michael Carrick
Guardiola enjoyed a legendary reign at Barcelona and the Man City boss lifted three La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues and two Copa del Reys as club manager.
Zinedine Zidane, much like Guardiola, enjoyed superb success in La Liga and captured two La Liga trophies and three Champions League titles with Madrid.
Cole said Guardiola and Zidane are similar to Carrick due to all three figures playing at the top level and having strong affinities with the clubs that they have managed.
“And what do they have in common with Michael Carrick? They’re top players that have played at that club that knew everything within the club,” he added.
“So, Michael’s actually in a better position experience-wise than when those two got their jobs at their big clubs.”
Carrick will return to the dugout on Wednesday evening and the Red Devils will visit St James’ Park to face Premier League side Newcastle for an 8:15pm kick-off time.
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