Manchester United are poised to hire Michael Carrick as interim manager until the rest of the season.
Ineos have chosen between Michael Carrick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The deal to hire Michael Carrick is now in the ‘final stages‘.
Carrick worked as caretaker manager at Manchester United in 2021, leading the team to two wins and a draw in three matches.
He had been working as an assistant under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but before that he was on Jose Mourinho’s coaching staff.
It was Mourinho who made the brave decision to hire Carrick to the prominent role, after spotting his potential as a coach during the twilight of his playing career.
Michael Carrick is the new favourite for the Man Utd interim job, are you happy with this?
Manchester United Coach Michael Carrick celebrates at the end of the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford on December 2, 2021
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What Jose Mourinho spotted with Michael Carrick
Jose Mourinho managed Michael Carrick between 2016 to 2018, before hiring him to the coaching staff following his retirement.
Mourinho was fired a few months later, with Solskjaer later making the decision to retain Carrick on the staff.
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Speaking about Carrick in 2018, Mourinho explained that it was Carrick’s character that he really admired.
Mourinho said: “The most important quality is to be a man. M-A-N, capitals – a proper man.
“Football is not full of them, and not just football, society is not full of them, so when you find one of them you have to value and you have to keep.
“The club and myself want to keep the man. He has qualities that we believe can make him a good coach.
“I give my assistants very good conditions for their evolution and I think Michael can be very positive for us.”
Michael Carrick and Jose Mourinho on the coaching staff
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Mourinho also earlier praised Michael Carrick’s ability to read the game, explaining that even though he did not select the veteran in his midfield very often, he was hugely important to have around.
He told Sky Sports: “He’s not just a player, he is somebody who has a big understanding of the game.”
This was why Mourinho felt so comfortable bringing Carrick onto his coaching staff, believing he could genuinely add something to his set up.
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Manchester United badge inside the tunnel
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Carrick was grateful for the opportunity
Michael Carrick later reflected on his unbelievable opportunity to get a chance to learn under Jose Mourinho first hand.
He was quoted via Goal: “It was fantastic, an unbelievable opportunity for me coming towards the end [of my career]. It kind of caught me by surprise.
“I don’t think you can ever expect an opportunity like that to come along even though I’d been at the club a long time.
“Seeing Jose close up and what he’d seen in players, how quickly he spotted strengths and weaknesses, he made up his mind very quickly and was very decisive tactically how he went about things. A terrific experience.”
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