Michael Carrick: Man United coach nominated for major award
Michael Carrick: Man United coach nominated for major award Manchester United caretaker manager Michael Carrick’s spectacular run at Old Trafford has earned him a nomination for a prestigious Premier League award. The English manager was appointed in January to steady the ship after former head coach Ruben Amorim’s tumultuous reign came to an abrupt end. The Red Devils were an enigma under the Portuguese, marking a period that had more lows than highs and saw the team finish 15th in the Premier League table last season.
The English giants ultimately opted for a change at the turn of the year and handed Carrick the reins of the first team. The Englishman previously had a short interim spell at the Theatre of Dreams after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s exit in 2024, during which he managed two wins and a draw in three games. The task at hand, however, was much bigger this time.
Entering into the eye of the storm United may have recognised the need for a managerial revamp last summer, but they opted instead to invest in Amorim’s 3-4-3 system. After spending over £200 million on the attack and goalkeeping departments, INEOS were hoping the Portuguese could get the club back to where it belonged. While the team’s performances did improve, Amorim struggled to get results, and his management of young Kobbie Mainoo also attracted a lot of scrutiny.
When Carrick entered the fray, the Red Devils were sixth in the Premier League table after 21 games, with eight wins and five defeats. To make matters worse, the Premier League giants had just exited the FA Cup in the third round at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion, which was interim manager Darren Fletcher’s final game in charge. United wanted Carrick to steady the ship and push for a top-four finish to secure Champions League qualification for next season.
The Englishman took charge at Old Trafford on 13 January and had a massive game to prepare for – the Manchester derby. Carrick’s Midas touch transforms United One of Carrick’s first decisions at the Theatre of Dreams was to abandon Amorim’s flawed 3-4-3 system and revert to a 4-2-3-1 formation. He also reinstated Bruno Fernandes in the No.