It’s just two games for Michael Carrick at the helm, so no confirmation will arrive on his future at Man Utd, but the club might just have stumbled upon the perfect permanent addition.
Man Utd went one better against Arsenal after toppling Man City the previous game, as they went to the league leaders’ backyard and inflicted a deserved defeat on Arsenal.
Much like Man City, this game was again built on a solid defence, pacy attack, confidence on the ball, and not letting the heads collapse when things went against them.
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Michael Carrick is working miracles, but the board will take time with their permanent managerial candidate. What’s non-negotiable should be the stay of a ‘magnificent’ addition made with Carrick.
Jonathan Woodgate Assistant of Manchester United, Michael Carrick, Manager of Manchester United and Steve Holland Assistant Manager of Manchester United on the side line during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on January 17, 2026
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Man Utd’s form has clear prints of a Steve Holland team
United have scored five goals in the last two games against the two best teams in the league, but scoring goals wasn’t a problem for Ruben Amorim’s side either.
The two things he couldn’t do, however, were to tighten the defence up and make the team more mentally resilient in the face of setbacks.
The latter could be attributed to Carrick’s man management, but the former has all the prints of Steve Holland, whom Harry Maguire called ‘magnificent’ before United had even played a game under Carrick.
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Holland is a master of drilling the defence by closing the spaces between the lines and getting buy-in from the whole squad to defend as a unit.
Those aspects have been a key feature of both victories under Carrick, as United have shed their reputation of having a soft touch in the defensive phase.
It has been replaced by a team that is well-drilled, organised, defends as a unit by working hard, and leaves no space for the opposition to play through.
Considering that the defensive part of the game wasn’t Carrick’s greatest strength when he was managing Middlesbrough, this immediate improvement has to be down to Holland’s impact.
United must keep Holland after the summer
A new manager is bound to bring in his own staff, but Holland’s impact in quick time at Old Trafford is making him undeniable.
After wins vs City and Arsenal… should Michael Carrick get the Man Utd permanent job?
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Carrick
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He has immense experience in the game as he has worked with some of the biggest managers in world football, and the players do need some stability.
Even if Carrick isn’t the manager ultimately, having Holland as the bridge between this staff and the next one will help the players a lot because they have already seen so much upheaval.
By the end of the season, United will also get a clearer picture of Holland’s impact, but his work after just two games is raising eyebrows.
With or without Carrick, Holland must be kept at United after the summer.
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