A fear of many at Man Utd is how Michael Carrick can be deemed worthy of the job when he got sacked at Middlesbrough, and former Red Devil Mikael Silvestre has set the record straight.
It’s true that Michael Carrick’s only previous permanent managerial role in football was at Middlesbrough in the second division.
After a bright start, that team fizzled out, and Carrick was eventually sacked due to poor results.
It doesn’t help that the club are now in a promotion race under a different manager, but Silvestre said that crucial context is being missed by people.
Manchester United legend Michael Carrick during the Sky Bet Championship match between Coventry City FC and Middlesbrough FC at The Coventry Building Society Arena in, 2025 in Coventry, England.
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Michael Carrick’s underrated job at Middlesbrough
In many ways, Middlesbrough being on the brink of promotion in the season after they sacked Carrick doesn’t reflect well on his credentials.
He was sacked in July 2025, and today, the club sits second in the Championship and are primed to play in the promotion play-offs at least, if not automatic promotion.
It’s easy to make the argument that Carrick wasn’t getting the best out of the squad, but unlike at Old Trafford, the squad doing well right now is far removed from the one Carrick left.
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He was repeatedly having to sell his top scorer every season, and his style of play could very well translate better with better players, like Vincent Kompany at Bayern Munich.
Silvestre made that point in a recent episode of the Inside Carrington podcast, noting that Carrick did a ‘very good’ job in limiting circumstances.
He said: “The job he has done at Middlesbrough hasn’t gone unnoticed. With limited [budget], limited quality of squad, he managed to achieve some very good campaigns. He comes to the age of maturity. When the boat is rocking, you need to stay calm, and he does that.”
Carrick’s Middlesbrough stint doesn’t matter for Man Utd job
This sounds crazy in theory, but football management is not always on an upward trajectory, and that nuance is easily missed by people.
What’s your biggest worry for Michael Carrick right now?
Team selections? Recent results? Something else you just don't feel right about? Let everyone know!
Michael Carrick looks on prior to the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Manchester United at St James’ Park in 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
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Carlo Ancelotti can get sacked by Everton and then return to Real Madrid to add more UCL titles to his name, while Thomas Frank can work miracles at Brentford, then forget how to win with better players.
The point is that even if Carrick hadn’t done a good job at Middlesbrough, it shouldn’t matter if he is doing a good job at United.
The proof is in the pudding, and the results speak for themselves right now.
Some managers are just better suited to a particular level of clubs, and their playing pedigree and man-management can often count for more than tactical wizardry and system talk.
The job should be Carrick’s to lose, barring an unmitigated disaster, at which point United would be well within their rights to look elsewhere.
However, writing him off based on previous managerial experience in a job that is completely different from the one at United is just lazy.
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