Former Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick is set to take caretaker charge of the club following his mixed spell in the Middlesbrough dugout
Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick played an attractive brand of football at Middlesbrough(Image: Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
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Manchester United are gearing up for another fresh chapter. Ruben Amorim was dismissed after merely 14 months in charge, with Darren Fletcher taking the interim reins for the last two games.
Michael Carrick is now the frontrunner to assume the caretaker position at United and was spotted arriving at Carrington on Tuesday morning, with club bosses aiming to have a new manager installed by the time players reconvene for training on Wednesday. So what might United supporters anticipate from their former midfield maestro?
His only managerial stint, with Championship Middlesbrough, will offer fans a reasonable indication of what the Englishman might bring. Carrick was dismissed by Boro in June 2025 following two-and-a-half years at the club.
He had steered the side to the play-offs in 2022/2023, but his tenure ultimately came to a disappointing end. Teesside Live journalist Craig Johns is well-placed to offer an informed assessment of Carrick's spell at the Riverside Stadium.
Johns described what it was like when Carrick arrived at TS3. "Boro had a decent squad for the division but sat 21st after a poor start to the campaign under a disillusioned Chris Wilder," he told the Manchester Evening News.
"The players were very short on confidence at that time. With that in mind, hiring Carrick felt like a risk. There was respect and appreciation for who he is and the playing career he enjoyed. But there was, it's fair to say, concern that it was a big risk to hire a young coach for his first job when the club were in that position.
"Nevertheless, Boro fans, like most, will get behind anyone once they're in post. Away at Wigan, as it became clear he would be getting the job, they were already singing his name."
Setting aside those initial reservations, what was Carrick's footballing philosophy actually like? Amorim rigidly maintained his 3-4-3 formation at Old Trafford, an ambitious tactical approach in today's game, whilst Fletcher has switched back to a traditional back four.
Michael Carrick
Carrick only has one senior job on his managerial CV(Image: Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
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"Carrick played a possession-based style of football," Johns explained. "Which focused on playing out from the back and progressing through the pitch. Generally, it was a 4-2-3-1 formation with the number 10 being a link player and the left-sided forward given freedom to roam and float inside, which created space down the left flank for the left-back to get forward.
"In turn, on the right, the right-sided defender would typically sit and create a back three to guard against transitions. When the quality was there, they were playing with confidence and there was space to exploit, it was a really attractive brand that delivered results and plenty of goals.
"But at times it was a little too slow and predictable and, towards the end, teams found it too easy to get men behind the ball, limit the space to exploit and frustrate Boro." Johns believes one of Carrick's strongest areas was enhancing individual quality.
"As for improving players, it was generally one of the better aspects of his time at the club," he continued. "He improved numerous players and, certainly in that first season after arriving, his calm and warming demeanor saw players quickly regain their confidence and go on an excellent run from 21st to finishing fourth and making the play-offs."
Johns also praised Carrick as an "excellent man manager", applauding the 44-year-old's ability to handle personalities as well as develop skills. He added: "Fundamentally, he's a coach," said Johns. "He loves being out on the training pitch and working with the players on development. Most players regarded him as an excellent man manager."
Michael Carrick
Carrick is the favourite to take the caretaker reins at Old Trafford(Image: Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
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However, the downside of Carrick's tenure - in-game management - played a part in his downfall. "Particularly concerning was the amount of times Boro led in games only to throw it away in second halves," said Johns. "In-game management was seen as a particular weakness.
"All too often, the opposition would make changes and Carrick wouldn't react quickly enough to the momentum switch as it unfolded. He was reactive rather than proactive, and often too late. They dropped so many points from winning positions."
However, there are numerous positives from Carrick's spell at Middlesbrough that should encourage United supporters - especially his man-management skills, which will prove crucial at a club packed with top talent like United.
Another factor working in Carrick's favour is his deep understanding of United as an institution, the club's culture and what the supporters expect, as Johns explains. "For what Manchester United want in this moment, I actually think it's an appointment that could work," he said. "Their players would seemingly suit his preferred style, and he's already worked with quite a few of them and, it appeared, had their respect.
"If he can deliver the same kind of uplift he did when first arriving at Boro, it'll be exactly what Manchester United need until the end of the season. An arm-around-the-shoulder approach to boost confidence after what appeared a rather cold head coach in Ruben Amorim could be exactly the same as following Wilder at Boro.
"Being a Manchester United legend, you'd imagine he'll unite everyone in and out of the club, and will understand the ethos and the 'United way', which Amorim just didn't do.
"On top of that, all the criticisms I've given of him for his time at Boro, I think it's only fair to nuance that by reminding, this was his first head coach role. When in the middle of the fire, you maybe don't get a chance to be as reflective as is maybe needed to recognise the mistakes you're making."
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