Michael Carrick returns to Manchester United after a short but impressive run as interim manager in 2021, when he showed willingness to make big decisions, even when it came at the expense of Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes.
It is no secret that Cristiano Ronaldo’s second spell at Manchester United ended bitterly. The Portuguese star, 40, was re-signed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before playing under two interim managers (Michael Carrick and Ralf Rangnick) and Erik ten Hag.
While Ronaldo had no issues with Solskjaer or Carrick, the five-time Ballon d’Or clashed with Rangnick and Ten Hag.
Ronaldo returned to a hero’s welcome, scoring twice against Newcastle on his debut, but the mood shifted in the summer of 2022 after United failed to qualify for the Champions League.
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There was no point of return for Ronaldo when he sat down for an unsanctioned, explosive interview with Piers Morgan. He made allegations against the club, staff, and the Glazers before his contract was mutually terminated.
Now, with Carrick returning to United as interim head coach, let’s take a look back at some major calls that proved he is not afraid to leave big names out of the team.
Michael Carrick giving instructions to Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench
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Michael Carrick dropped Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo during first Man Utd stint as interim manager
Carrick only took charge of three games as United’s interim manager during his first reign. The Red Devils were unbeaten in those matches, winning two and drawing one.
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The former United midfielder stepped in immediately after the dismissal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before leaving the club with a 66.7% win rate.
Carrick did that by leaving big names out of his team for the first two games.
In his first game, Carrick secured qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League with a 2-0 win over Villarreal. He did so by benching Bruno Fernandes and opting for a more defensive shape before bringing the Portuguese star on later to win the game.
Carrick made the headlines for dropping Ronaldo at Stamford Bridge in the days that followed. United drew 1-1 against Chelsea, with Jadon Sancho scoring the only goal for the Red Devils.
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Sancho started the game up front with Marcus Rashford in a 4-3-1-2 formation.
Ronaldo returned to the line-up for Carrick’s final game in charge as United beat Arsenal 3-2 at Old Trafford. The former Real Madrid star scored a brace, including his 800th career goal.
What did Michael Carrick say about dropping Cristiano Ronaldo?
Carrick was protective of his United dressing room when he left Ronaldo out of the line-up against Chelsea.
The step in coach had a game plan that didn’t include the Portuguese star, whom he previously called a teammate.
Carrick explained his decision with a pre-match interview on Sky Sports, saying: “A few tweaks and changes from the other night, to change things up a bit.
“Cristiano is probably our standout name, but it’s just gameplan, ideas. I had a good chat with Cristiano actually, he was great, and we’ve decided to go like that today. Really looking forward to the game.
“It’s a decision just to pick a team, to be honest. I don’t think it needs more drama than that.
“Everyone is fine, all the boys who have come out of the team have been terrific around the place, Cristiano included, fantastic with the boys, supporting them 100 per cent and ready to come on if and when needed.
“We’re happy with the team we’ve picked, for sure. We’ve come here to try and win the game, like we do every single game.”
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