Michael Carrick has called on everyone at Manchester United to “pull together” in order to bring success back to the club, after being appointed on Tuesday night as head coach until the end of the season.
The former midfielder has brought the ex-England assistant Steve Holland and Jonathan Woodgate to work alongside him. They will join Jonny Evans, Travis Binnion and Craig Mawson in the backroom staff. It is Carrick’s second spell leading the team, having taken charge previously of three games after Ole Gunnar Solskjær was dismissed in 2021.
The director of football, Jason Wilcox, led the process to find a replacement for Ruben Amorim, who was sacked after a run of poor results and a falling out with the hierarchy. United want to bring someone in who had worked at the club before, identifying Carrick and Solskjær as key targets. The two, along with another candidate, were identified and interviewed but Carrick was the preferred option, on account of his leadership skills and knowledge of the squad available to him.
“Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honour,” Carrick said. “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.
“I have worked with a number of the players already and have obviously continued to watch the team closely in recent years, I have total belief in their talents, dedication and ability to be successful here. 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.”
Carrick was a United player for 12 years before joining José Mourinho’s coaching staff upon retiring in 2018, remaining at the club for three years until Ralf Rangnick’s appointment as interim. His first managerial role was at the Championship club Middlesbrough, who he coached for two and a half years until being sacked in the summer after finishing 10th.
“Michael is an excellent coach and knows exactly what it takes to win at Manchester United,” Wilcox said. “He is ready to lead our talented and determined group of players for the remainder of the season as we continue to build the club towards regular and sustained success.”
Darren Fletcher, who took charge of the games against Burnley and Brighton, will revert to his role as under-18s head coach. The Scot impressed the club’s hierarchy with his attitude and performance during his brief tenure but it was felt best for his development to stay within the academy.
