Michael Carrick was appointed Manchester United boss until the end of the season over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the Norwegian has shown his true colours in his latest comments
10:35, 26 Jan 2026
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - MAY 23: Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of Manchester United watches from the dugout during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United at Molineux on May 23, 2021 in Wolverhampton, England. A limited number of fans will be allowed into Premier League stadiums as Coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in the UK following the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer offered his support to Michael Carrick(Image: Matthew Peters, Manchester United via Getty Images)
Michael Carrick has revealed that he's spoken to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer since being named Manchester United manager, with his former colleague offering his support.
The Red Devils were on the hunt for an interim manager until season's end, and it boiled down to a head-to-head between Carrick and Solskjaer. Carrick had been part of Solskjaer's backroom staff during his stint as United boss, and the Norwegian didn't hide his desire to take the job again.
But it was Carrick who got the green light, and it seems there's no bad blood, with Solskjaer ready to offer a helping hand if needed. The 44-year-old kicked off his reign in style, seeing off Manchester City 2-0 at Old Trafford last Saturday before beating Premier League leaders Arsenal 3-2 at the Emirates in incredible style on Sunday.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 25: Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick celebrates his sides third goal, scored by Mathias Cunha (Not pictured) during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on January 25, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
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Michael Carrick has guided Manchester United to back-to-back wins over Manchester City and Arsenal(Image: Alex Pantling, Getty Images)
Speaking about his conversation with Solskjaer, Carrick said: "I spoke to him. I'm close (to him). We've been through a lot together, so he's been fully supportive, as you'd expect.
"He's some man and I respect him an awful lot. He wished us all the best and he was happy that we got the right result."
Solskjaer knows what it's like to be in the hot seat at United - a role Carrick will now fill until the season wraps up. The ex-England midfielder is confident he can turn to Solskjaer for advice when needed.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 25: Manchester United Head Coach / Manager Michael Carrick reacts at the end of the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on January 25, 2026 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Manchester United's players appear to have bought into Carrick's system and style(Image: Ash Donelon, Manchester United via Getty Images)
He continued: "You have conversations and I've got a lot of friends in places that I can pick on if I need to. I'm not one that bothers a lot of people, to be honest. But he's certainly there if ever I need him."
It's believed that Carrick was given the green light by United's top chiefs after several players voiced their preference for him over Solskjaer to take the reins until the season's end.
Solskjaer's tenure ended on a sour note, with many of his former players still in the squad and openly expressing their lack of faith in him.
Carrick has previously triumphed over the Gunners during a three-match stint as caretaker manager following Solskjaer's 2021 dismissal and secured victory again by the same scoreline.
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Speaking about the difference between the two wins since he took the job, Carrick reflected on the contrasting ways United had to find their wins.
"The whole atmosphere last week [at home] from the start, you ride that wave and emotionally it’s a constant high in some ways," Carrick said.
"Today coming away [from home], we had to create our own energy between us. The away fans in the corner were incredible…I thought we took the ball really well at times and played forward, really positive and got the rewards from it.”