Ben Foster has now made a telling prediction for Michael Carrick after the Manchester United interim head coach’s phenomenal start to his reign at the club.
Michael Carrick has already secured key back-to-back Premier League wins against heavy-hitters Arsenal and Manchester City after his stunning return to Old Trafford.
Paul Merson has just learned the hard way not to underestimate Michael Carrick’s Man Utd!
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The 44-year-old Manchester United legend took his place in the Old Trafford hot seat ahead of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after his interim head coach appointment.
Carrick’s reign will last until the end of the 2025-26 Premier League season, following on from Man Utd sacking Ruben Amorim as head coach earlier this month.
The former Middlesbrough manager kicked off his reign at the Premier League club with United’s sensational performance against Manchester City in a 2-0 home win.
READ MORE: No matter what happens next, Michael Carrick has already won his biggest battle at Man Utd after two matches
Michael Carrick during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in 2026 in London, England.
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Ben Foster on Michael Carrick’s transformative impact at Man Utd during his interim head coach spell at Old Trafford
Following Manchester United’s result over Manchester City earlier this month, Michael Carrick’s men built further momentum against Arsenal at the weekend.
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Carrick engineered Man Utd’s stunning 3-2 win over Arsenal at the Emirates and the Red Devils have been able to climb to fourth place in the Premier League table.
After wins vs City and Arsenal… should Michael Carrick get the Man Utd permanent job?
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Carrick
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Speaking after Man Utd’s display against Arsenal, pundit Ben Foster highlighted the major manager bounce that the Red Devils players are experiencing under Carrick.
“They always have been good enough, but in years gone by, even in this season, they put that Man United shirt on, they feel the weight of the world, and their standards drop from a nine out of 10 to an eight out of 10 to a six out of 10 to a five,” he said on the Fozcast podcast.
“That’s what they drop to instantly, right? Instantly, the weight of the badge is phenomenal for Manchester United, but when a new manager comes in, somebody that they know, somebody that they trust, they get on with as a friend, because that’s kind of, the situation that they’re in at the minute with Carrick is it’s all friendly, isn’t it?”
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Ben Foster’s Michael Carrick prediction speaks volumes about the Man Utd legend’s impact at the Premier League club
Foster made the immediate comparison with Man Utd legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer over how the “dynamic” at the Red Devils had altered under Carrick’s interim spell.
“He’s only the interim, it’s not a full-time [role],” he continued.
“I would worry that if it goes full time, then that changes, that dynamic changes a little bit.
“We saw it before, we’ve seen it before, with plenty of teams, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, it changes the dynamic a little bit.”
How many points will United get from our next five games?
It's been a perfect start for Michael Carrick, will it continue? Which games are you worried about?
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Following the results against Man City and Arsenal, Carrick has only 15 Premier League matches remaining in his interim spell at Old Trafford this season.
But Foster insisted that a possible 10 wins from the 15 Premier League fixtures left should be enough to warrant Carrick’s permanent appointment at the Red Devils.
“But if Michael Carrick in these remaining 15 games, so two games he’s played so far, beat Manchester City and Arsenal,” he added.
“What a start, ridiculous, right? Got 15 games left for Manchester United now, right?
“If he goes and wins 10. If he wins 10 of those 15 games, you’ve got to give him a job.”
Man Utd are one point clear of fifth-place Chelsea in the Premier League table and the Red Devils will return to action against Fulham at Old Trafford on Sunday.
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