When Cunha scored the winning goal at the Emirates Stadium and the final whistle blew for Manchester United’s 3-2 comeback victory over Arsenal, the glory of Old Trafford seemed to return briefly at that moment. Within 12 days, Michael Carrick, who took over as interim manager, led the team to consecutive victories over two top Premier League giants, Manchester City and Arsenal. This not only brought United back to fourth place in the standings for the first time in two years but also made the call for “Carrick to be appointed permanent manager” sweep across the entire Red Devils fan base. From his unbeaten three-game spell as interim manager in 2021 to his current two consecutive wins after stepping in as fire-fighter again, the former Manchester United midfield legend has delivered a stunning answer sheet with 4 wins and 1 draw in 5 official games. However, behind the short-term brilliance lie the rigid threshold of Champions League qualification, doubts from legends, and the shortcoming of lacking experience in managing a top club. For Carrick to secure the Manchester United manager’s position next season, this test of strength versus sentiment, short-term results versus long-term reconstruction, has only just begun.
The Foundation for Permanent Appointment: Three Major Qualitative Changes Brought by Carrick
Hard Power in Results: Unbeaten Record in Tough Games Highlights Coaching Ability
Evaluating a coach’s caliber, performance in tough games is always the core criterion, and Carrick’s answer sheet in this regard is nothing short of perfect. Since taking charge of Manchester United twice, he has faced top coaches in world football in all 5 official games he has overseen, yet achieved an unbeaten record of 4 wins and 1 draw—defeating Villarreal led by Unai Emery, Manchester City under Pep Guardiola, Arsenal coached by Mikel Arteta (twice), and only drawing with Chelsea managed by Thomas Tuchel. Especially the two victories at the beginning of 2026 are of great gold content: a clean 2-0 home win over city rivals Manchester City, breaking the previous winless streak away against the Citizens; a 3-2 comeback victory over Arsenal away from home, ending United’s embarrassing winless streak at the Gunners’ home since December 2017.
What is even more commendable is that Carrick’s victories are not due to luck, but the precise implementation of tactical designs. When facing Manchester City, he resolutely abandoned ineffective possession, focusing on efficient counterattacks with only 31.8% possession rate. Through targeted wing raids and central forward runs, he repeatedly put City’s possession system in a passive position; in the game against Arsenal, despite falling behind early due to an own goal, the team relied on a calm mindset and efficient finishing ability, converting all three shots on target into goals and finally completing the comeback. This pragmatic tactic of “not competing for possession with strong teams and focusing on defense to launch counterattacks” is perfectly suited to United’s current squad configuration and also demonstrates Carrick’s on-the-spot adjustment ability and tactical insight as a coach.
Team Reconstruction: Dual Activation of Tactics and Spirit
The changes brought by Carrick to Manchester United after taking office are far more than the improvement in results, but also the rationalization of the tactical system and the reconstruction of team spirit. The three-center-back system insisted on by the previous coach forced many players to leave their comfortable positions, and the team was always in chaos at both ends of the pitch. The first thing Carrick did after taking office was to resolutely return to the 4-2-3-1 formation familiar to Manchester United, allowing Bruno Fernandes to return to his core position as an attacking midfielder, completely liberating the creativity of the Portuguese midfielder—this season, Bruno has 9 assists and 62 chances created, both ranking first in the Premier League, and his linking role in the offensive end has become the key engine of United’s consecutive victories.
In terms of personnel usage, Carrick has shown sufficient courage and boldness. He boldly gave youth academy prospect Kobbie Mainoo a chance, letting the young midfielder start in the tough games against Manchester City and Arsenal, and Mainoo rewarded the coach’s trust with a 91% pass success rate and steady defensive performance; Cunha, who came off the bench, became a winning hero, contributing one goal and one assist in the game against Arsenal to help the team reverse the victory; players who were in poor form before, such as Jeremy Doku and Diogo Dalot, also regained their rhythm in Carrick’s tactical system.
The change at the spiritual level is also visible to the naked eye. Carrick shortened the training time but increased the training intensity, focusing on detail polishing and targeted guidance for individual players. At the same time, through one-on-one communication with fringe players, he made every player feel valued. Under his leadership, the atmosphere in the Manchester United locker room has been completely renewed, and the players’ fighting spirit and cohesion on the pitch have been significantly improved. The long-lost “Red Devil spirit” is gradually returning. As Harry Maguire said: “Since Carrick came to the team, he has brought new vitality. The entire team is truly united, and we are now playing for each other.”
The Bonus of Red Devil DNA: Innate Club Compatibility
For a club with profound historical heritage like Manchester United, whether the manager understands the “Red Devil DNA” and can integrate into the club culture is often the key to his long-term stability. And Carrick is undoubtedly the most suitable candidate for this requirement. As a Manchester United player, he played at Old Trafford for 13 years, winning 5 Premier League titles, 1 Champions League title and many other honors with the team. He personally experienced the peak moments of Manchester United and also witnessed the team’s low years. This more than ten-year precipitation has allowed him to deeply understand United’s traditions, fans’ expectations and locker room culture. Without a long adaptation period, he can quickly get started with team management.
In an exclusive interview, Carrick once said emotionally: “This is an incredible club, my favorite club in the world. It can be extreme sometimes—extremely brilliant at its peak and very low at its trough. It is this contrast that makes success so worthwhile. ” This sincere love and recognition make him always take the long-term interests of the club as the starting point in his coaching career. Even as an interim manager, he refuses short-sighted behaviors and is committed to laying a solid foundation for the team’s reconstruction. This sense of responsibility beyond his personal term is particularly precious in today’s impetuous football world.
Obstacles to Permanent Appointment: Three Unignorable Core Challenges
Rigid Threshold: The “Life-or-Death Test” of Champions League Qualification
Despite the brilliant short-term results, for Carrick to be appointed permanent manager, he must first cross the core threshold set by the senior management—obtaining qualification for the Champions League next season (top four or five in the Premier League). Currently, although Manchester United has risen to fourth place in the standings with 38 points, the competition for the top four in the Premier League is extremely fierce. Teams such as Liverpool and Aston Villa are closely following. A slight mistake may cause them to fall out of the Champions League zone. And Manchester United has long had the chronic problem of “beating strong teams but losing to weak teams” in history. Whether this problem can be solved under Carrick will directly determine whether the team can maintain its top four position.
Judging from Manchester United’s remaining schedule, the test facing Carrick is not easy. In February, the team will face mid-to-lower-tier teams such as Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Everton in succession. Although these opponents are not as strong as Manchester City and Arsenal overall, they often have the characteristics of “spoilers”, and are good at causing trouble for top teams through intensive defense and counterattacks. In the past, Manchester United has dropped points in such games many times, leading to the team’s decline in the standings. For Carrick, how to adjust tactics to deal with intensive defense and ensure stable points against mid-to-lower-tier teams will be the key to his fight for Champions League qualification and permanent appointment.
External Doubts: Controversies Over Resume and Positioning
Even if Carrick finally leads the team to obtain Champions League qualification, there are still considerable doubts from the outside world about his ability to coach Manchester United for a long time. Among them, the view of Manchester United legend Roy Keane is the most representative. In an interview, Keane said bluntly: “Two very good performances, but anyone can win two games. Even if they finally finish fourth, I don’t think he is the right person, absolutely not. What Manchester United needs is a bigger-name and better head coach.” In Keane’s view, Carrick’s coaching experience at Middlesbrough ended in failure (failing to lead the team to promotion), and he lacks experience in long-term coaching of top clubs, making it difficult for him to support Manchester United’s revival.
In addition to doubts about his resume, Carrick’s tactical system also faces the test of sustainability. At present, he mainly plays a high-efficiency counterattack tactic, which has a significant effect when facing strong teams that are good at high pressing such as Manchester City and Arsenal. However, when facing weak teams with intensive defense, the team’s ability to break through in positional battles still needs to be verified. If he cannot enrich his tactical play in a timely manner and improve the scoring efficiency in positional battles, Manchester United is likely to fall into a dilemma of fluctuating results in subsequent games, which will also impact the call for his permanent appointment. In addition, as the season progresses, opponents will conduct targeted research on Carrick’s tactics. How to adjust tactics according to changes in opponents and avoid being figured out by opponents is also a problem that Carrick needs to solve.
Competitive Environment: Potential Impact from Multiple Candidates
Although Carrick is currently the top favorite for permanent appointment (bookmakers have reduced his odds of permanent appointment to 6/4), Manchester United’s senior management has not clearly stated their preference for him, but plans to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all candidates at the end of the season. According to media reports, the senior management is even paying attention to national team coaches who will step down after the World Cup. These coaches have more brilliant coaching resumes and richer experience in managing top clubs, and are quite attractive to Manchester United. This means that Carrick is not the only candidate for Manchester United’s manager next season, and his path to permanent appointment still faces potential impact from other candidates.
More importantly, as a Premier League giant, Manchester United has always borne the expectation of competing for the league championship and the Champions League title. When choosing a manager, the senior management will not only consider short-term results but also value his long-term reconstruction ability and championship potential. Compared with those famous coaches who have led teams to win top league championships or Champions League titles, Carrick lacks the coaching experience of winning heavyweight championships, which has also become a major shortcoming in his competition. If the results fluctuate in the follow-up, or other candidates show stronger competitiveness, Carrick’s prospects for permanent appointment are likely to reverse.
Key to Permanent Appointment: Four Core Variables Determining the Final Fate
Carrick’s path to permanent appointment is full of both opportunities and challenges. Whether he can finally secure the Manchester United manager’s position depends on the trend of the following four core variables:
First, the stability of the remaining league games. As mentioned earlier, the performance against mid-to-lower-tier teams in February will be a key test. Whether we can get rid of the curse of “beating strong teams but losing to weak teams” and get stable points against opponents such as Fulham and Tottenham directly determines whether Manchester United can maintain its Champions League qualification, which is also the core premise for Carrick’s permanent appointment. If he can maintain stable results during this period, his chances of permanent appointment will be greatly improved; on the contrary, if there is a continuous loss of points, it will not only put the Champions League qualification at risk but also make the senior management question his ability.
Second, the upgrading of the tactical system. Short-term counterattack tactics can bring surprises, but long-term coaching requires a sound tactical system as support. In subsequent games, Carrick needs to gradually improve the team’s ability to break through in positional battles, enrich tactical plays, and prove that he can not only lead the team to win tough games but also deal with different types of opponents. At the same time, with Casemiro leaving the team at the end of the season, how to adjust the midfield configuration, find a suitable replacement, and ensure that the defensive hardness and organizational ability of the midfield are not affected is also a major test of his tactical layout ability.
Third, communication and planning with the senior management. Carrick needs to submit a clear long-term reconstruction plan to Manchester United’s senior management (Sir Jim Ratcliffe, INEOS team), including the team’s tactical positioning, the training plan for young players, and the signings ideas in the transfer market. At present, the senior management’s attitude towards Carrick is “cautious observation”. Although his short-term performance has left a good impression on the senior management, to make the senior management believe that he has the ability to coach for a long time, he still needs to prove it with specific plans and actions. Effective communication with the senior management will largely affect the final result of his permanent appointment.
Fourth, the continuous support of players and fans. The unity of the locker room and the recognition of fans are important foundations for the manager’s long-term stability. At present, Carrick has won widespread recognition from the players. Many players have publicly praised his tactical arrangements and management methods; the fans are also full of expectations for this Red Devil legend, singing cheering songs to support Carrick on the field. This positive public opinion atmosphere and team cohesion will become an important help for Carrick to strive for permanent appointment. However, if the results decline in the follow-up, the attitudes of players and fans may also change, which requires Carrick to always maintain the stability and combat effectiveness of the team.
Rational View of the Possibility of Permanent Appointment, Process is More Important Than Result
Overall, Carrick currently has the core advantages for permanent appointment: brilliant results in tough games, clear tactical thinking, deep understanding of Manchester United’s culture, and widespread support from players and fans. But at the same time, he also faces the rigid threshold of Champions League qualification, external doubts about his resume and tactics, and potential impact from other candidates. At this stage, Carrick is in a stage where “advantages outweigh disadvantages, but key tests need to be passed”. The possibility of his permanent appointment is not a foregone conclusion, and the final result will depend on the performance of subsequent games and the trend of various variables.
But regardless of whether Carrick can finally be successfully appointed as permanent manager, his short-term coaching has already pointed out the direction for Manchester United’s reconstruction. After Manchester United experienced a trough period of frequent coaching changes, tactical chaos, and locker room unrest, what Carrick brought is not only two key victories but also the return of tactical discipline, the reconstruction of team spirit, and the inheritance of Red Devil DNA. He refused to package a victory as the starting point of the revival, and insisted on defining the team’s growth by process rather than results. This calm, pragmatic, and responsible coaching style is exactly what Manchester United needs most at present.
For Manchester United, reconstruction is not an overnight thing, but requires long-term planning and patient investment. Carrick’s arrival has made fans see the hope of revival, and also made the senior management have a clearer understanding of the team’s future. In subsequent games, Carrick needs to continue to prove himself, responding to external expectations with stable results and continuous progress. For fans, it is better to rationally view the possibility of Carrick’s permanent appointment and give this Red Devil legend more time and space. After all, compared with a “permanent appointment” result, it is more important for the team to embark on the correct path of revival.
Finally, I would also like to ask all fans: Do you think Carrick can lead Manchester United to maintain Champions League qualification and successfully become the permanent manager? In your mind, who is the best candidate for Manchester United’s manager next season? Welcome to leave your views in the comment area!