Darren Fletcher returns to his old job following a brief stint as Manchester United’s interim head coach.
The former Manchester United midfielder took charge of the first team following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal last week.
Fletcher’s reign in a caretaker capacity didn’t last long, though, with the Scot taking charge for two matches against Burnley and Brighton. The Red Devils were unable to win those fixtures before Michael Carrick was appointed head coach until the end of the season.
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According to BBC Sport, Fletcher will return to his role in charge of United’s U18s after turning down the opportunity to be part of Carrick’s coaching staff.
Carrick’s backroom staff includes Steve Holland – once assistant to former England manager Gareth Southgate – as assistant. The 55-year-old will be joined by Jonathan Woodgate, Jonny Evans and Travis Binnion.
Here are five reasons Fletcher was right to go back to working with the U18s.
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Darren Fletcher trusts Michael Carrick
Fletcher’s decision is highly unlikely to be a rejection of Carrick.
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If anything, it suggests Fletcher trusts Carrick to succeed without needing his input.
Carrick spent most of his career at United, playing and working under coaches like Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The two and a half years he spent at Middlesbrough mean he has a lot more experience than Fletcher.
Principled rather than status-driven
Fletcher is committed to player development at United, which is why he took the role with the U18s last summer.
By turning down a role in the first team, it shows that Fletcher is prioritising long-term development over short-term prestige.
Fletcher is still in the early stages of his coaching career. The former Scotland international is still setting foundations and learning from key experiences.
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It would have been easy for Fletcher to jump at the opportunity to join Carrick’s backroom staff, but that would have left the U18s without a manager.
This is an example of Fletcher putting the future of United first.
Darren Fletcher wants to protect Man Utd’s traditional pathway model
As a former academy graduate at United, Fletcher knows how important youth players are to the club.
Fletcher wants to ensure that he helps protect the club’s traditional pathway model. He proved that with his eagerness to get Kobbie Mainoo back on the pitch during his two games in charge.
This is hugely helpful for a club trying to rebuild its identity in the modern game.
Loyalty and professional integrity
Any offer from Carrick would have been tempting for Fletcher, but he has remained loyal to the club by doing what is best for the youngsters he’s coached throughout the season.
It would’ve been a huge loss for those young players had Fletcher not returned after his brief spell as United’s first-team interim head coach.
Choosing stability suggests Fletcher doesn’t make decisions impulsively.
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Darren Fletcher may be playing the long game in coaching
Fletcher may be trying to plan out his career as a coach.
Rather than rushing into the senior game as a coach, Fletcher is laying the foundations for his coaching philosophy with United’s youth teams.
This gives Fletcher a chance to build on coaching credentials and experience of dealing with players daily.
It’s a common pathway for top coaches to build foundations in youth systems.
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