Ineos’ tall ambitions at Man Utd will take time to realise, but in the meantime, they need to relent on their strongest stand to take their biggest decision.
Ineos’ decision for the next permanent Man Utd manager is being made for them by Michael Carrick.
He has worked miracles with the squad Ruben Amorim wrote off as not good enough, and the lack of suitable alternatives has further helped his case.
However, to make the decision to give Carrick the full-time role, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co will need to relent against the very power they were determined to fight against at Old Trafford.
Michael Carrick, manager of Manchester United, reacts in the technical area during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford, Manchester, United Kingdom, on March 15, 2026
Photo by Mark Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images
YOU are Michael Carrick – Pitch why you should be permanent Man Utd manager to Ineos
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Ineos wanted to combat player power at Man Utd
Ratcliffe took a lot of unpopular decisions in a short time once he was in place as part-owner of the club.
Most were off the field and ethically questionable, but Ineos’ vision on the pitch became increasingly clear as well.
They were determined to engineer a cultural reset of the club, and that began by taking the power back from the players.
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There had been far too many instances of a complicated dressing room throwing the manager under the bus and getting rewarded for bursts of form for the next man in, before going back to relax again.
Nobody was going to be bigger than the club again, and that message was firmly sent when Dan Ashworth was sent packing in less than a year.
The likes of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho followed on the pitch, and seemingly unprofessional players like Jadon Sancho weren’t given a chance, regardless of the manager.
The dressing room today is a much better place, where the players know they play for a club, not an individual they can get rid of anytime they want.
However, to take their Carrick decision, Ineos will have to relent against player power.
Man Utd players want Michael Carrick in charge
Ineos have been patient with Carrick, wary of getting carried away by a small sample size, regardless of how impressive it is.
If not Michael Carrick… WHO ELSE?
Can you name a good available alternative to Michael Carrick you actually want?
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Carrick has refreshed the dressing room atmosphere as well, leading to many players openly calling for him to stay on as permanent manager.
Amad did it recently, but even before him, the likes of Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, and more have backed him to get the job.
It’s clear that the players have made their choice, and they’re not trying to keep a secret on what that choice is.
The question for Ineos is – are the players genuinely looking forward to playing under Carrick, or is this another case of them dictating who they want, and only then will they play well?
That’s the gamble Ineos will take, but as long as Carrick keeps performing well, the decision might get taken out of their hands.
Player power might win this time, but if Ineos agree with the players, then it might not be such a bad thing.
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