Michael Carrick has already got the better of three of the Premier League bosses in the frame to get the Man Utd job on a permanent basis in the summer.
Michael Carrick has already beaten Unai Emery, Marco Silva and Oliver Glasner since taking on the United job
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Michael Carrick has been laying waste to the runners and riders for the Manchester United head coach job over the last two months. If this was the Grand National, Carrick would be lining up Becher's Brook on the final circuit with a healthy advantage.
He has beaten rivals for the job in Marco Silva, Oliver Glasner and Unai Emery, and can complete the set on Friday night when he takes on Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth. For the first time, Carrick will face one of his competitors in an away game.
That Glasner remains second favourite to be United head coach on the first day of next season says plenty about the way candidates have been falling by the wayside.
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Combine that with Carrick's run at United, delivering 22 points from a possible 27 and moving up to third in the Premier League, and you can see why he is the odds-on favourite to make a temporary appointment a permanent one.
He steered United to wins against Fulham, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa to prove a point against three Premier League bosses who have been in contention to get the job at Old Trafford. With Glasner leaving Selhurst Park this summer, he remains a potential candidate.
The same is true of Iraola. His Bournemouth side are 10 games unbeaten in the Premier League and of that quartet, he probably plays the most exciting and attacking brand of football, one which could be more suited to United than Glasner's back three at Palace or Silva's more cautious approach at Craven Cottage.
The Basque is also out of contract in the summer and might be eyeing a job at a bigger club. The question will be whether the step up to United from Bournemouth is simply too big.
Carrick will be out to deliver another bloody nose as well, even if he is too polite to say it in public. If he can guide United to an away win on the south coast, ending Iraola's unbeaten run, it would be another step towards keeping the job.
The 44-year-old certainly knows he will be in for a scrap. He raised Bournemouth's energy when speaking on Wednesday and Iraola's side certainly make you work for any result you get against them.
"It's a tough game, it is a tough place to go, they're on a really good run of form," said Carrick. "So, yeah, a difficult game. We're obviously going down there, we've had a good run and the boys are in good shape, but it's always a difficult game, always has been and probably always will be.
"We know that. They're a really good team, really well-coached and good energy. So we know we're in for a game down there Friday."
It's another proving ground for Carrick. Another chance to ace an audition against someone who might just be in the minds of those making the decision at Old Trafford.
On what we've seen so far, don't be surprised if it is the United head coach who is smiling come 10pm on Friday night. He is turning this into a one-horse race.