Michael Carrick has exceeded all expectations since being handed the Manchester United job, albeit on an interim basis until the end of the season. He has won three games on the trot, a run that includes wins against the Premier League's top two, Arsenal and Man City.

Nobody would have expected that from the faltering side that Carrick had taken over. Naturally, there are already calls for him to be handed the job on a permanent basis, although most understand the need to be patient and see how things play out over a longer period of time.

Before this, Carrick's only full-time managerial role has been at Middlesbrough. Even there, he showed glimpses of his ability to get the most out of little.

Carrick took over a Middlesbrough team that was in 21st place in the Championship and helped them finish in fourth. Unfortunately, they failed to make it through the play-offs. The following season, they finished a respectable eighth, but the big success came in cup competition, as Boro made it all the way to the semi-finals of the League Cup.

He was sacked by Middlesbrough after his third season in charge of the side, as they finished 10th in the Championship.

Of course, succeeding at Manchester United will be a whole different ball game. So, one would hope that the club take their time before making a decision on their next manager, which seems to be exactly what they are planning to do.

According to CaughtOffside, Fabrizio Romano has said: "In the summer we will see obviously, if Carrick will continue like this he will have very good chances, but this will be decided by the club later on, not now."

That would be the sensible way of approaching this situation. Yes, Carrick has made a phenomenal start to life as Manchester United manager, but is this form going to be sustainable? Or will opposition teams figure him out over time?

At Middlesbrough, he had made a sensational start as well before their form plateaued a bit over time. And after sacking Carrick in the summer, Boro find themselves second in the Championship.

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