16 May 2026 06:41:55
With growing rumours the Glazer loving Ineos numpties are to appoint Carrick, some points.
If the club had conducted a thorough review, the answer would not be Carrick.
I think it is a huge mistake, there are far better out there but the club seems unable to free itself from comfortable emotional thinking despite saying they want best in class.
Will it be head coach or manager, will he have significant influence in player purchase? Suspect coach and some to little influence.
If it is a 2 year deal I hope they agree a low compensation figure for when they have to sack him, likely mid season, I suspect second year.
I will support the team as I have always done but believe the ownership must change.
Glazers and Ineos out asap.
Carrick would have to show more than he has ever done in his very brief career to make me believe in him.
Opposition fans are happy if we appoint Carrick.
I once said LvG should only have been appointed to prepare for Pep. Given Carrick and Holland influence is it prep for Southgate?
The club have an avowed intention to win the league in 2028, appointing Carrick means they think he can. I hope I am wrong, I hope he is running around OT with the trophy but I just can’t see it.
If this goes wrong, as I fear it will, Wilcox at least and if he also agreed with it, Berrada must also be sacked.
16 May 2026 09:08:16
Red Man, you are a long standing, well respected poster, and I really enjoy engaging with you, but posting pretty much the same thing again and again. Come on, we get it.
The poll suggests a 50 50 split, and many of those who are accepting of Carrick are not massively enthusiastic about it, but don't see any exciting alternatives.
You say there are far better out there, and I don't doubt Iraola is currently a better coach, but how would he cope in the goldfish bowl of United? Everyone is a risk, nobody excites me right now.
16 May 2026 09:15:10
Jeez!
The Carrick out bandwagon is already at full throttle.
I really hope he does well, otherwise the I told you so brigade will be unbearable!
16 May 2026 09:31:53
AJH
Thank you, and I understand. I am not Carrick out, can't be yet, he is a temp with temp contract ending soon. I am frustrated with the club, very frustrated. Once he is officially appointed, I just have to see what happens, like the rest of us, hence why I posted that for the last time now before appointment.
Once appointed, he gets the same judgement on performance as every other manager.
16 May 2026 09:54:54
You can't be Carrick out, Red Man, if you can't stand him even getting the job.
It's ridiculous at this stage.
You speak as someone who has all the answers.
If Berrada, Wilcox, Vivell et al collectively know less than a poster on this site, then the club is truly screwed.
But my guess is that they know plenty more, and we will be absolutely fine.
It is much more important that we get the recruitment right.
Carrick may only be a short-term placeholder until a better manager becomes available, or he may surprise us all and do well.
Either way, recruitment has to be on point because that is the key.
We have messed up recruitment for too long now, but in recent windows it looks as though we have turned a corner, and that's down to these so-called 'INEOS clowns'.
16 May 2026 10:09:08
I'm not particularly keen on Carrick getting the full-time role, but I agree there isn't a standout alternative. My biggest concern is that it feels expectations are dampened a bit with Carrick. The two-year contract and 'no one else better' mentality have almost written the excuses if things don't go well.
16 May 2026 10:32:19
Why would Carrick/Hopland be laying the groundwork for Southgate, lol. When they could just appoint Southgate now, seeing as he is available, lol.
16 May 2026 12:52:23
I don't think there is any way they could not offer Carrick the job. I think we were 7th, maybe 8th, when he took charge, and now we are sitting 3rd, with ECL guaranteed and probably 3rd place as well. Not bad for a temp!
He has used the current squad as well as anyone could expect, and in fact probably exceeded what we thought was possible from this group of players.
I get the "not so ecstatic" feeling of most, I am the same, but could anyone seriously come up with a viable alternative?
Iraola, I think, looking at what happened to Thomas Frank, big fish, small bowl to small fish, big bowl, will have swayed the chance away from Iraola.
I for one will be hoping that he continues on the upward trajectory of Utd, as he continues to learn what it takes to achieve as a Utd manager.
16 May 2026 13:49:26
I'm in total agreement, JR.
I'm not expectant, and I think the odds are against him. But I am very hopeful.
There are a lot of questions Carrick has to answer, and there are gaps in his CV.
But he has answered every question asked of him so far.
He can only answer the questions as they arise, and so far he has done that.
I have doubts, but he has already answered some of those doubts.
I don't see any other obvious stand out contenders.
If Carrick can consolidate 3rd next season, and get closer to the top 2, and do well in the cups, I would see that as good progression.
If he doesn't succeed, and we slip away, and the football is uninspiring, then they will sack him, simple as that.
I will remain hopeful until there is damning evidence to the contrary. At this point, I see no evidence to the contrary, and I see more green flags than red.
16 May 2026 15:45:31
Let's be honest, the odds are against any and every manager we could appoint.
We are a massive club that has fallen well off the pace, and we have a fan base with expectations far beyond what any manager can realistically achieve, especially with our current squad.
For any manager to be a success at our club will take the stars aligning.
We will need to buy and sell the right players at the right time for the right amount of money. That probably means another 10 players leaving at least, and another 10 coming in to replace them just to have a squad capable of challenging for the biggest honours on all fronts. While, at the same time, we will need 80% of our current young squad to step up and actually reach their full potential.
While, if we are honest, any new manager will have a limited say on transfers, and young players reaching their potential is far more down to what they do than to the manager.
On top of all that, you need the opposition to present you with the chances needed, and a big old slice of luck in terms of cup draws, fixture lists and injuries.
The main reason we have failed over the past decade is because we have been expecting too much from the manager; we expect another Sir Alex.
Someone who can do everything and solve everything by themselves. Yet we forget that Sir Alex wasn't always that man; he grew into the greatest manager with us. But we are expecting someone to come and immediately be what it took Sir Alex 15 years to become.
Every single managerial candidate has issues that, we can argue, make them a poor (or lacking) choice.
Every single candidate would need to grow into the role, and to be successful they will need the right team and structure around them.
Carrick isn't the sexy choice, but that doesn't mean he is the wrong one. People aren't excited by him, but maybe that's a good thing. A new manager that excites also raises expectations, probably beyond what is achievable, which is ultimately setting us up for failure.
If we are completely honest, a good season next year probably means finishing in the top 5, playing better, more consistent football, and a couple of good cup runs (particularly in Europe). Literally, if we finish 4th, make the FA Cup semis and the UCL quarter-finals, while playing better football, then that is progress.
16 May 2026 16:02:41
I think Carrick is the shrewd choice. And he, frankly, made it impossible not to give him the job. He’s conducted himself perfectly, and got incredible results out of a squad we have all said is not good enough for years.
A squad many blamed for Amorim’s awful stint in charge. Imagine what he can do with better players!
He’s not flashy, he’s not loud, but he’s effective and gets on with it. And wins. Much like his playing career.
16 May 2026 18:56:09
Carrick on a 2-year deal is actually a sensible choice by the club. He's come in, and results-wise we have done well, we have more points on the board than any other team since he came in, and we've beaten 7 of the top 10 teams in that time.
It gives us time to evaluate him properly and see what he's made of. In 2 years' time, there might be other managers, such as Enrique, that become available.
If it doesn't work out, we've not got to pay a long contract out.
16 May 2026 20:35:37
It doesn't look like they even interviewed anyone else. They should have done that, so it at least looks like they chose Carrick over some people.
They should have given him a 3 year deal, but with a cheap clause to terminate after 1 year (end of season) or 2 years (end of season) that they keep quiet.
This way he'd be publicly backed, but with offramps for the club. If he continues to do well, they can renegotiate that out.
16 May 2026 23:24:12
Happy far far far too too realistic. Please don't post unless it's over the top reactionary stuff. ?
17 May 2026 03:01:36
Don't think it took Alex 15 years to be fair!