As Michael Carrick prepares for his spell as interim manager of Manchester United, a former coach of the club has offered his services to the ex-midfielder.
Michael Carrick in front of a TV camera.
Michael Carrick will soon be back on the touchline for Manchester United.(Image: 2025 James Gill - Danehouse)
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Sir Alex Ferguson's former assistant Rene Meulensteen has urged Michael Carrick to call him if he ever needs some words of wisdom at Manchester United. Carrick, 44, was announced as interim manager this week, just over a week after Ruben Amorim's sacking.
With United tumbling out of the FA Cup during Darren Fletcher's final spell as temporary boss, Carrick will oversee the remainder of the Reds' Premier League matches this season. He will be entrusted with getting United back into European competition while the search for the next permanent manager is ongoing.
As the team are as close to 12th as they are fourth position, there is little margin for error for Carrick. Perhaps with this in mind, Meulensteen, who worked as Ferguson's assistant boss from 2008 to 2013, insisted he will be happy to lend Carrick a hand - if needed - over the phone.
The former Fulham manager told Casinostugan: "It's 12 and a half years since I've left United. So many managers have come and gone and Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] has been there and there's never been any talks so I don't really think about it.
"Those 12 and a half years are a long time. So many things have changed. What we had under Sir Alex was unique. You had the most successful manager in the history of English football and everything was done a certain way and we played with a style and all that is gone now.
"Everything is different. The players are different. The environment is different. There are different roles. You have no idea what kind of impact you could have.
"Obviously, if Michael Carrick or someone else rang me I'd pick up the phone. Of course you would, wouldn't you!"
Rene Meulensteen and Michael Carrick embrace.
Meulensteen knows Carrick well from their time at Old Trafford together.(Image: 2013 Manchester United FC)
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He inherits a United squad sitting in seventh position in the Premier League, three points away from the top-four. Carrick has an ominous start to his second temporary reign at the club, with a Manchester derby at Old Trafford in his first game, before an away battle against Premier League leaders Arsenal in the next match.
When asked what the ex-England international has to do, Meulensteen insisted Carrick must quickly decide on his playing style. The Dutchman added: "There's a lot of different players at United at this moment of time so you have to sort of rebuild a few things again.
"Amorim was trying to mould them into a system that never really worked. That's a challenge for Michael now to set them up in a system that suits the players.
Michael Carrick gestures on the touchline.
Carrick was sacked by Middlesbrough in June. (Image: 2025 Allstar)
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"Everybody knows he has taken the job as the interim manager all the way up to the summer. So we will have to wait and see before we look beyond what Manchester United are going to do then.
"Can Carrick do enough to remain as the permanent manager like Solskjaer did when he was brought in as caretaker? It could happen because let's assume he goes on an unbelievable, unbeaten run and secures top-four, gets Champions League football, and they've got nothing else to worry about.
"At this moment in time, all they need to do is make sure that they win as many games in the Premier League as they possibly can, but I think what people will also look at is the way they are going to play under Michael. And his style of play."