Michael Carrick: Man Utd confirm head coach appointment for remainder of the season

Manchester United have appointed Michael Carrick as head coach until the end of the season.

Carrick emerged as the frontrunner for the role after the club held discussions with the former midfielder and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following the departure of Ruben Amorim on January 5.

Sky Sports News understands the hierarchy at the club were impressed by Carrick's plans for the remainder of the season.

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United have only the Premier League to focus on following their 2-1 defeat to Brighton in the FA Cup on Sunday, which was overseen by caretaker boss Darren Fletcher. Plans to appoint an interim head coach were accelerated following that defeat.

Carrick's first game in charge of the club will be Saturday's Manchester derby, live on Sky Sports.

Gareth Southgate's former England assistant coach Steve Holland will be Carrick's No 2, while ex-Boro assistant and Leeds player Jonathan Woodgate, current U21s coach Travis Binnion and Jonny Evans, who rejoined the club during Darren Fletcher's interim period, will also all form part of the backroom team.

'We are ready to pull everyone together'

"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."

Director of football Jason Wilcox added: "Michael is an excellent coach and knows exactly what it takes to win at Manchester United.

"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."

Carrick the unanimous choice

Sky Sports News' Lyall Thomas:

United did not want to be in a position of changing head coaches mid season but results and behaviours meant they needed to act immediately in order to have the best chance of still achieving their objectives this season.

Wilcox began the process of identifying a head coach until the end of the season to give them time to run a thorough process for a permanent coach.

United wanted to bring in someone who knew and understood the club to reduce the risk of a period of adaptation and after speaking to three candidates, Carrick was the unanimous choice.

Wilcox and Carrick worked together to identify and select the right profile of coaches to support him and agreed to approach Holland and Woodgate. Neither had worked with Holland but felt his skillset and experience would be beneficial. Carrick worked closely with Woodgate, an accomplished coach, and has a strong relationship with him.

Meanwhile, all at United are aligned for Fletcher, who has impressed the hierachy, to return to U18s in order to support his desire to further his development and keep an excellent coach in a key position.

Carrick returns to Man Utd

Carrick made 464 appearances for the club across his 12 years at Old Trafford but remained there as part of Jose Mourinho's coaching staff when he retired in 2018.

After Mourinho was sacked in December of that year, Carrick was briefly named interim manager before joining Solskjaer's backroom staff upon his arrival on an interim basis.

The duo, who were both in the running to temporarily succeed Ruben Amorim, then remained at the club permanently when Solskjaer was handed the role in March 2019.

The Norwegian coach was sacked in November 2021, and Carrick resumed the position of caretaker boss, going unbeaten in his three games at the helm with wins against Villarreal and Arsenal, as well as a point at Chelsea.

Carrick stepped down from his role and left the club when Ralf Rangnick arrived before then taking charge at Middlesbrough in October 2022.

Boro were 21st and one point above the relegation zone at the time of his appointment but narrowly missed out on promotion after losing to Coventry City in the play-off semi-finals that year, after rising to a fourth-place finish.

Carrick then guided the team to eighth and 10th-place finishes in the following two seasons, leading to his departure in June 2025.

What's Carrick's style?

Carrick predominantly deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation during his time at Middlesbrough, occasionally reverting to Sir Alex Ferguson's favoured 4-4-2 on six occasions - more than the five times he opted for a three-at-the-back system.

Under his management, Middlesbrough recorded league-leading numbers for high turnovers and fast breaks, while also ranking among the top sides for build-up attacks and direct attacks.

Given this, Carrick is likely to implement a 4-2-3-1 with an aggressive press, combining patient possession-based build-up with frequent switches to long passes and rapid transitions.

Man Utd's next five fixtures

• January 17: Man City (H) - Premier League, kick-off 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports
• January 25: Arsenal (A) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports
• February 1: Fulham (H) - Premier League, kick-off 2pm, live on Sky Sports
• February 7: Tottenham (H) - Premier League, kick-off 12.30pm
• February 10: West Ham (A) - Premier League, kick-off 8.15pm

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