MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United has again turned to former player Michael Carrick to salvage its imploding season.
Carrick was hired Tuesday as United’s interim coach until the end of the season, more than a week after the departure of Ruben Amorim.
The ex-England midfielder, who won five Premier League titles and the Champions League during a trophy-laden playing career at Old Trafford, was also an assistant coach at United and had an unbeaten three-game spell as interim after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fired in 2021.
On this occasion, Carrick was selected ahead of Solskjaer, who was also interviewed for the role.
“I know what it takes to succeed here; my focus is now on helping the players to reach the standards that we expect at this incredible club, which we know that this group is more than capable of producing,” Carrick said in the club's announcement.
Carrick added that he's worked with several of the players already.
“I have total belief in their talents, dedication and ability to be successful here,” he said. “There is still a lot to fight for this season, we are ready to pull everyone together and give the fans the performances that their loyal support deserves.”
By appointing Carrick in a short-term role, United is giving itself time to find a long-term replacement for Amorim, who was fired last week after 14 months in the job.
Former England assistant coach Steve Holland will be part of Carrick’s coaching team.
Carrick’s priorities
Carrick’s only full-time managerial experience was at second-tier Middlesbrough from 2022-25, where his reign ended after failing to secure promotion to the Premier League.
Yet former United striker Wayne Rooney said his old teammate would command the respect of the players.
“Michael is a very clever person and last time did really well,” Rooney said on his podcast, referring to that brief spell in 2021 when Carrick led United to wins over Arsenal and Villarreal as well as a draw at Chelsea.
The priority for Carrick is to secure Champions League qualification after defeat to Brighton in the third round of the FA Cup — United’s first game in the competition — on Sunday put the 20-time English champion on course for another trophyless season.
United also lost its first match in the English League Cup, to fourth-tier Grimsby, and is seventh in the Premier League.
As well as Carrick and Solskjaer, other former United players Darren Fletcher and Ruud van Nistelrooy were also considered. Fletcher has taken charge of United’s two games since Amorim’s departure — a draw at Burnley in the league and the cup loss to Brighton. He is expected to return to his role as youth coach.
Carrick’s first two games at the helm are tough ones — at home to second-place Manchester City in the league on Saturday and away to first-place Arsenal the following weekend.
After Ferguson
It is unlikely Carrick’s time at the helm of United will go beyond the end of the season. The club’s hierarchy is on the hunt for its seventh permanent manager or coach after more than decade of decline since Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
Amorim was the latest to fail to lead the club back to the summit of English soccer after David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag.
Carrick was part of one of Ferguson’s greatest teams, which won a Premier League and Champions League double in 2008. In all he won 12 major trophies in 12 years at United.
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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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