Michael Carrick: Man Utd's unbeaten start under head coach won't accelerate plans on future manager
Michael Carrick's unbeaten start to life as Man Utd head coach won't see the club accelerate their plans moving forward; Carrick has won four of his opening five games in charge; should United secure Champions League qualification, Carrick may become a frontrunner for the job
Wednesday 11 February 2026 10:50, UK
They may not have gotten the result they wanted against West Ham, but Manchester United remain unbeaten in Michael Carrick's five games in charge. Under his stewardship, the team has beaten Arsenal and Manchester City already.
Nevertheless, the club's bosses will not accelerate their plans to appoint a new head coach, and Carrick is still not the favourite to be the next long-term boss at Old Trafford.
To understand why, you need to drill down into the new, determined philosophy at the heart of the club.
United will make no decision about the top job right now. As Gary Neville suggested, the hierarchy has begun the process of identifying possible targets. But it has been made clear to me they have not yet spoken to any candidates, and they will wait until the end of the season before progressing with an appointment.
In Carrick (and in Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate, Trevor Binnion and Jonny Evans) the team is in very good hands, and so that has placated the bosses into feeling there is no rush to make the next decision.
Yes, there is a growing clamour from some supporters - and some pundits - for Carrick to be given the job right now. He is handling the media consummately. The mood is high. The players are happy, and enjoy training. The team is performing very well. Results are well and truly on the up.
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But to commit to a long-term appointment now would go against everything that United are determined their operation should be: calm, considered, strategic. There will be no short-term fixes, and certainly no decisions as important as the next head coach, made on the limited evidence of just five games.
The same resolute, methodical policy was there for all to see with United's January transfer activity. Despite Ruben Amorim bemoaning his injury problems, AFCON absentees and a lack of squad depth, not one single player was signed as "cover" in the January transfer window. And there were no new incomings either once Carrick took charge. United are keeping their powder dry - and their transfer kitty full - for a central midfield transfer onslaught in the summer. That's the plan, and they're sticking to it.
Back to the head coach. Certainly, the bosses are delighted with the job Carrick is doing, and with the dynamic between the key members of his coaching staff. And if he continues to do well - and especially if he delivers Champions League football - he will certainly be one of the front runners come the summer. Such are the standards that he has set, and the impression that he has made that, even if he misses out on the job at Old Trafford, he can only have enhanced his reputation, and his chances of getting another Premier League manager's role, in the future.
Ironically, if Carrick does deliver Champions League qualification over the final 12 games, he may inadvertently stiffen the competition he will face for the top job that. The United manager's role does not have the same appeal now that it had in the years immediately after Sir Alex Ferguson's departure. But United playing again in the top European club competition, with the big boost in the finances to boot? That may make the job much more attractive to some of the elite managers in world football.
To that end, it's been made clear to me that United are determined to appoint someone who has the strength of character and experience to cope with all that is thrown at you as the main man at Old Trafford.
The feeling among the hierarchy is that the job was too big for Amorim. He was surprised by the sheer noise which came with the role. That wasn't the case with his predecessor, Erik ten Hag, but there have been learnings from his tenure too. On both occasions, United felt they'd achieved a coup in recruiting the brightest manager in Europe of that particular era. Neither was a success at Manchester United.
That sort of candidate is not on the wanted list this time. If it isn't Carrick, it is very likely to be one of the biggest names in world football - assuming United can persuade that man to join.
The likes of Thomas Tuchel and Carlo Ancelotti have the wow factor, the stellar name, the track record of winning multiple major trophies. Carrick can't compete with them on that level, but he out-scores them both when it comes to knowing Old Trafford, and the "Manchester United way".
Carrick will happily work within the current United structure, which isn't about to change. Might Tuchel or Ancelotti want more of a say in transfer dealings, for example, than Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada are prepared to give? We should not forget that United's recent managerial past includes some huge football names. Neither Jose Mourinho or Louis van Gaal were considered a success. That is a lingering memory.
Carrick has made a sensational start to his time as Manchester United head coach. Whether he gets the chance to continue the role beyond the summer has much to do with how the team performs under his charge between now and May - but also on the basis of many, many more factors.
Whatever happens, United's bosses will not make a quick decision.
