Michael Carrick: Alan Shearer delivers bold verdict on United coach
Michael Carrick: Alan Shearer delivers bold verdict on United coach Manchester United are preparing to host Brentford at Old Trafford on Monday, 27 April, in the Premier League. A win will further solidify the Red Devils’ quest to bring the Champions League back to the Theatre of Dreams next season. The Premier League giants are yet to feature in the new format of the European club tournament, with their last appearance coming in the 2023/24 campaign, before the recent reforms.
Erik ten Hag was the manager then, but he lost the job in October 2024, with United appointing former Sporting manager Ruben Amorim as the Dutchman’s replacement. The Portuguese head coach, however, endured a disappointing 14-month reign at Old Trafford. Despite finishing 15th in the Premier League as well as losing the Europa League final last season, Amorim kept his job, only to be removed from his position this January.
INEOS moved to appoint Michael Carrick as the caretaker manager until the end of the campaign, with a permanent appointment expected this summer. However, the Englishman is now one of the favourites for the job after a superb three months in charge. A strong contender for the permanent position When Carrick walked in through the doors at Carrington in January to steady the ship, United were struggling for identity and form.
The Englishman abandoned the 3-4-3 system and implemented a 4-2-3-1 formation that the squad was better suited to. The Red Devils roared back into form, winning four games on the trot, including impressive wins against Manchester City at home and against Arsenal away at the Emirates. Carrick has since registered eight wins and two draws in his 12 games in charge so far, taking the team to third in the Premier League after 33 games.
Michael Carrick: Managerial Career Stats Source: Wikipedia . While calls to make his stay permanent have been gathering pace for a while, recent defeats against Newcastle United and Leeds United did raise quite a few questions. However, Carrick masterminded a hard-fought 1-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last weekend, further consolidating his candidature for the full-time job.