08 Feb 2026 09:12:14
Another happy morning the day after a game. I think we all have a little spring in our step at weekends this past 4 weeks.
I see the chat is starting about Carrick getting the job full time and I have to be honest, it’s hard to argue that. I know the concern is what happened in this scenario previously however, this time it feels different. For me, Solskjaer came in at a time when the atmosphere was rock bottom, he got the enjoyment back and the attacking attitude which we all craved but we just lacked that structure when needed and then confidence got knocked again.
This time however, we seem to have the structure in place to and I think this is down to the coaching set up Carrick has brought in. We always get caught up in who should be Manager but I think we also have to consider the coaching set up to and Holland and Woodgate, appear to be doing an excellent job along with Carrick. Carrick knows the club, knows what the fans want and knows what sort of substitutions to make and Holland and Woodgate are helping lay a foundation for all this.
It just feels different this time and I really think the whole coaching set up is key, not just who the Manager is. Carrick and the team are working with this team for the next few months, setting up the structure, any new manager who comes in with their new team will need to follow this blueprint otherwise the players will be having to get to grips with a whole new system and ideas across preseason.
Then you have to consider other options, Iraola, Howe, Glasner? All managing teams outside the top 10 currently. Managers from abroad need backing as the premier league is very different to Holland, Portugal, France etc as we’ve seen. Can we offer that and the time?
For me, this set up works. Am I caught up with all the excitement currently? Possibly but it’s to simplistic just to say this is Solskjaer 2.0. The structure and set up seems so much better now.
08 Feb 2026 10:48:14
It's going to be interesting. If MC continues winning and gets us into CL football, or into 2nd place (yikes), it will be difficult for the board not to appoint him permanently. Then it all goes pear-shaped, next season the knives will be out.
On the other hand, MC carries us to 5th place, and the board employ somebody else, and it then goes pear-shaped. The situation will be the same with different personnel.
The future is 'interesting'.
08 Feb 2026 10:51:15
I'd rather judge him at the end of the season. Can't judge anyone after 4 games. Specially if we take the rose tints off. We only beat Arsenal from 2 worldies that usually don't happen and any other game and we draw or lose that one.
We threw a 2 goal lead away against Fulham if it was from a bruno dummy that worked we would have drawn that game too. So I think your getting carried away and we need to lay off all this stuff until the end of the season.
08 Feb 2026 11:11:14
I am delighted as anyone that Carrick has won his first four games. Maybe if he wins all the remaining games there would be an argument for giving him a one year rolling contract. However, whilst very happy we are winning games I won’t get carried away on the usual United emotion train.
Emotion is too strong in the club decisions in the past. So let’s not get carried away on Carrick. Yes Ole did the same and whilst I think Carrick is a more thoughtful choice than the emotion ridden Ole one, he is still an emotional choice. Win all his remaining games and it becomes a discussion.
08 Feb 2026 11:20:32
Good post Ports.
If Michael Carrick is to be considered for the job, his biggest problem is OGS. I think the board will be very reluctant to give him the job full time based on the fact lessons should be learned from given an Interim the job full time based on the job they did short term. Rightly or wrongly, they will be reluctant because of the last time.
Personally, I think we should aim for Luis Enrique, Thomas Tuchel, but after that, I think I'd rather stick with Carrick is the coaches in the frame are De Zerbi/Glasner/Iriola.
08 Feb 2026 15:11:52
I would stick with Carrick before Glasner or Ireola but I would think we got our sights set on Tuchel
Enrique ain’t coming, besides when I said he should replace ETH it was met with derision…same when I said Flick before ETH…how did that go!
I think the club wants TT……problem is won’t be released prior World Cup so be interesting how we build team players before hand.
08 Feb 2026 16:01:48
JSU if TT comes, they will have it well in place. Targets, structure etc, he will be done before the WC if he is going to be the one.
08 Feb 2026 16:18:47
I agree it's early to judge right now. I dislike a lot of the anti-Amorim stuff and have been vocal enough here about it! I think RA really improved the squad and took long term decisions that were starting to pay off for him. However he showed a lack of adaptability at times. I think most of the chat about formation ignores that teams transition between formations all the time and that the key change hasn't been anything to do with formation but rather that Mainoo is playing and Bruno is further up.
That being said, I felt Carrick played a style that was largely similar to Amorim in the first couple of games (difference to me was that rather than a player pushing out of the 5, instead a winger was expected to be the defensive presser) .
However I've noticed a change in last two games. The structure is more to compress the space near the ball with a couple of outlets. It suits our highly technical players like Cunha, Mainoo, Bruno and is suiting us. That's down to Carrick. So I'm very encouraged by what he's doing. Let's see how it progresses.
08 Feb 2026 16:22:51
Let's see how Carrick does. If he wins most of the remaining games and Utd finish in the top 4 then you could say he has passed an audition.
If it's not broke.
08 Feb 2026 18:54:48
There was a troll called German that used to be Maze that said a few of those things JSU but he got banned, you aren’t saying that’s you are you?