Michael Carrick has Manchester United in Champions League contention with four wins on the bounce as loanee Marcus Rashford turns heads at Barcelona and Gary Neville lifts lid on manager search
Jake Polden Deputy Editor, Reach Sports Hub and Neil Docking
07:40, 10 Feb 2026
Michael Carrick has brought the good times back to Manchester United and there is a clamour for him to be given the job permanently
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Michael Carrick has brought the good times back to Manchester United and there is a clamour for him to be given the job permanently(Image: Manchester United via Getty Images)
Michael Carrick has Manchester United back in the groove and vying for a Champions League spot.
The Red Devils are aiming for their fifth consecutive win when they face West Ham on Tuesday night, following a 2-0 victory over Tottenham at home over the weekend. A win over the Hammers could see United leapfrog Aston Villa into third place, ahead of Unai Emery's team's Wednesday night encounter with Brighton.
Carrick stepped up as interim manager after Ruben Amorim was sacked and will remain at the helm until the season's end. While United's top brass have given no indication of who will take the managerial reins permanently next season, the former Red Devils midfielder is certainly making a strong case for himself. Here's all the latest news from Old Trafford.
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville
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Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
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Manager search
Gary Neville has shed some light on United's search for a new permanent manager, revealing that he personally spoke to the club and that the hunt for a successor to Amorin is in full swing.
On The Gary Neville Podcast, he stated: "I made my position clear a few weeks ago, and what I'm not going to do is repeat it every week, but what I did, I actually spoke to the club, because ultimately the club get asked all the time from journalists and broadcasters, what's the position of the club.
"It's a very difficult situation, you've got a massive movement now with what's happened towards giving Carrick the job, saying that, really, he should be considered. That's only going to build the more that he wins and the more that he gets closer to Champions League football.
Michael Carrick has overseen an incredible resurgence at Manchester United
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Michael Carrick has overseen an incredible resurgence at Manchester United
"I asked the club what is the official position of the football club in terms of what you're saying publicly to everybody else. I have to say I thought their answer was pretty good. They said they've actually begun the process now, starting to look for another manager, which I thought right.
"That's good to hear because you need to plan for everything. They've started the process of speaking to and looking at other managers, building all the sorts of data and analysing who should be the next manager of the football club.
"But what they've said is they're not going to be bounced into - irrespective of wins or draws or losses on the pitch in this next couple of months - making an appointment. They're going to wait until towards the end of the season."
Marcus Rashford assessment
Marcus Rashford
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Marcus Rashford has returned to his best at Barcelona this season(Image: Getty Images)
Marcus Rashford's future at Manchester United continues to be a hot topic, with the on-loan star currently trying to rejuvenate his career at Barcelona.
The striker has endured a mixed spell at the Camp Nou, but seized his chance of a rare start against Mallorca with both hands - earning widespread acclaim from the Spanish press, reports the Mirror.
Rashford stepped into the injured Raphinha's spot in Barcelona's starting XI, making his first start since January 3. The Englishman was withdrawn in the second half and received a standing ovation from supporters as he left the field.
Mundo Deportivo lauded Rashford for galvanising Barca after a lethargic beginning. "By far, one of Barca's most purposeful players in a first half that was collectively very flat," their assessment of the 28-year-old read.
"Taking [Hansi] Flick's challenge to heart, he assumed attacking responsibility when the game looked its worst, producing the most dangerous shots, the second leading to the 1-0 goal, and sending a beautiful free kick straight off the crossbar. Substituted to well-deserved applause."
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AS, meanwhile, highlighted Rashford's performances have steadily improved throughout the campaign as he's settled into life in Spain. The Barca Universal website awarded the forward an impressive 8.5/10 rating.
"Rashford was perhaps Barcelona's most potent threat in the first half as he did not hesitate to cut in and shoot, creating a ruckus in the Mallorca area and bombarding Roman's goal with powerful strikes," their match report stated.
"He also did well providing a wide threat, although his crosses were well defended for the most part. In fact, the opening goal stemmed from his shot on goal, which fell kindly for [Robert] Lewandowski."