Manchester United have made Michael Carrick the club's head coach until the end of the season after sacking Ruben Amorim, and an intriguing addition to the coaching ranks was ex-England assistant Steve Holland as his new No.2.
Steve Holland doesn't suffer fools and will hope to have a big impact at Manchester United
Steve Holland doesn't suffer fools and will hope to have a big impact at Manchester United(Image: 2026 Manchester United FC)
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Steve Holland is not a coach to be messed with. Having worked with some of the biggest superstars in the game, he takes no prisoners when it comes to reputations and egos. And his attention to detail has become the stuff of legend. Just ask Arsenal defender Ben White.
During the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, White was part of the England squad preparing for a group game against the USA. And Holland was less than impressed with White's attitude, when he decided the full back didn't share the same obsession with football he had - or expected. One barbed comment towards White, which is understood to have been made in front of teammates, left White so upset he asked to go home.
Which he did, with Gareth Southgate's blessing. White hasn't pulled on an England shirt since. Southgate wanted him to, but White refused the invitation.
It must be assumed White had no desire to work under Holland again, given what happened at England's training base at Souq Al Wakra, on the outskirts of Doha. Yet the fall-out between White and Holland is a cautionary tale for the Manchester United squad, now Holland has been appointed No.2 to Michael Carrick.
United have broken with tradition and made a shrewd appointment. Let's be honest, the current United team needs an experienced hand to guide it out of the current carnage, not to mention give certain individuals a kick up the backside. United need some structure and identity.
Holland has earned a reputation for being hard to please. He can come across as being stern and sometimes sullen. As one football insider put it following his arrival at United, "expect him to smile about once a month".
But United haven't hired someone to crack jokes. This is not a personality contest.
Steve Holland in his first Manchester United training session on Wednesday
Steve Holland in his first Manchester United training session on Wednesday(Image: Manchester United via Getty Imag)
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It is about meeting the challenge of rescuing United's season head-on. Because the team itself is the only joke doing the rounds in the red half of Manchester.
Holland is demanding, but meticulous. His training sessions are game-focused, and he expects players to transfer details and drills into matches. That will start this weekend, in the Manchester derby.
While Carrick is well-versed in the so-called 'United DNA', having had a stellar playing career with the English giants, Holland will bring an independent eye and ideas to proceedings.
Holland is tough and will suffer no fools. He will be someone Carrick will lean on a lot, just like Southgate did during their time together with England.
Southgate has admitted in the past that he wouldn't have had the success he did without Holland by his side. Under their leadership, England reached a World Cup semi final and two Euros finals.
COBHAM, ENGLAND - APRIL 14: Michy Batshuayi, Cesc Fabregas and Steve Holland of Chelsea during a training session at Chelsea Training Ground on April 14, 2017 in Cobham, England. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Cesc Fabregas worked with Steve Holland at Chelsea and has raved about him(Image: (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images))
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During his time at Chelsea, Cesc Fabregas once hailed Holland's "meticulous coaching brain".
Holland, who is capable of devising specific plans for individual games and opponents, will be identifying United's strengths and weaknesses, according to the talent at his disposal.
He will have hit the ground running and leave nothing to chance.
His mantra is that everything is about winning. And the impact he will have on the United squad cannot come soon enough.