The Athletic’s David Ornstein has dropped an eye-opening perspective on what is said about Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick in the football world.
Michael Carrick has had the spotlight placed well and truly on him after the 44-year-old former Manchester United midfielder made his stunning return to Old Trafford.
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The Man Utd interim manager was appointed to his current role at the Red Devils on Tuesday after agreeing terms with the Premier League club on Monday.
Carrick has provided Ineos and Red Devils co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe with a short-term fix after Ruben Amorim was sacked as Man Utd head coach.
Ruben Amorim was dismissed from United last Monday and the 40-year-old Portuguese head coach was replaced by former caretaker manager Darren Fletcher.
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Manchester United interim head coach Michael Carrick records a podcast at the Carrington training complex in 2026 in Manchester, England.
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David Ornstein drops his assessment on former Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick after Man Utd legend’s Old Trafford return
Michael Carrick has been out of the managerial dugout since 2025 after his first managerial spell ended, with Middlesbrough sacking the Manchester United legend.
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The former Middlesbrough boss had been praised for his work at the Championship club before he was dismissed from his post at the Riverside Stadium last summer.
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Speaking on BBC Sport’s The Wayne Rooney Show, David Ornstein admitted that the reputation that Carrick has within the football “industry” speaks volumes about him.
“From the industry, you don’t hear anybody speaking anything other than highly of Michael Carrick,” he told Wayne Rooney.
“It’s an industry that is very quick to s— off people and it’s quite b—– and therefore when you hear somebody like Michael Carrick held in very high regard, then you take it seriously.”
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David Ornstein talks about Man Utd interim head coach Michael Carrick during his spell at Middlesbrough
Carrick faces a huge task ahead of him at Old Trafford, with the Red Devils facing Manchester City at home before travelling away to face Arsenal at the Emirates.
The former Middlesbrough head coach held his first training session with the United first-team squad that he inherited at the Carrington complex on Wednesday.
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Speaking on Carrick’s time at Middlesbrough, The Athletic’s Ornstein added: “It didn’t end too well at Middlesbrough.
“I think things were getting tense between himself and the media and maybe people inside, players, the club as a whole, were getting quite wearied by it and it was quite interesting.
“Michael took some time to sort of introspection after that.”
Carrick’s Man Utd side will host second-place Manchester City for a 12:30pm Premier League kick-off time on Saturday for the latest Manchester derby clash.
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