Manchester United’s board are debating the choice of next permanent manager. Vincent Kompany’s success with Bayern could give them a steer.
Michael Carrick has put himself in pole position for the Manchester United head coach job after his positive spell as interim boss so far.
There are still doubters over whether Carrick should get the job, centring on the argument over his lack of experience. A so-called ‘elite manager’ is proposed as the solution.
“I think Manchester United should go for the best class of manager available,” Gary Neville told Sky Sports earlier this year.
But every manager has to start at the top level somewhere, There is a long list of inexperienced bosses who delivered big trophies for clubs after being given an opportunity.
One of these is Bayern Munich’s Vincent Kompany, who is an interesting parallel to Carrick.
Kompany was appointed at Bayern in 2024, after his stint with Burnley. While he got them promoted from the Championship, they were relegated immediately.
The Belgian had a top class record as a player, but in management he was only a rookie. Bayern took a gamble on his potential.
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Now after managing 100 games at Bayern, it is safe to say Bayern’s bet is paying off.
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Reaction to Kompany: Lesson for United
Vincent Kompany has now managed 100 games in charge at Bayern Munich, and he has won 76 of them.
His impressive win rate led to him winning the Bundesliga title last season, and he is on track to do the same in 2025/26.
Bayern supporters on X have been expressing their delight at how the Kompany era has taken off, and there are some interesting comments.
“He has more wins than Tuchel games for Bayern. But Tuchel fans will still say Tuchel is the better coach”
“We hit the jackpot with him”
“He is doing what the Elite Coaches struggled to do”
“Extend his contract again till 2035”
“We‘re seeing a legend in the making, he might be known more for being a manager than a footballer in the future as well”
“I doubted you at the start, but now Im glad I was totally wrong”
Bayern supporters are clearly delighted the club took the bold move to appoint Vincent Kompany, fresh off his relegation with Burnley.
The comments reflect how fans are thrilled to see the emergence of a new top level manager, rather than hiring a ‘proven elite’ coach who already have a top managerial CV.
There is a clear lesson for Manchester United that appointing a more seasoned manager is not automatically the answer. And the solution might already be in the dugout.
If not Michael Carrick… WHO ELSE?
Can you name a good available alternative to Michael Carrick you actually want?
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Michael Carrick’s CV is growing at Manchester United
United have an advantage over Bayern that Michael Carrick has already had a test run as head coach of the club.
It is not just about the manager. It is about fit.
And there is no doubt that Michael Carrick is a terrific fit for Manchester United.
Carrick understands the club’s ethos, and the way of playing, in way that predecessor Ruben Amorim struggled.
He also has the personality to be able to deal with the intense media pressure that comes with leading United.
United can hire another coach, but the matter of ‘fit’ is complete unknown. With Carrick it is already proven.
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