Manchester United has officially announced the appointment of Michael Carrick as interim manager, relieving Darren Fletcher of his duties, and the former United player will now be in charge of the Red Devils at least until the end of this season.  

INEOS also held talks with former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who was ready to manage United for the rest of the season. However, the club's management chose to move forward with Carrick's vision for the remaining games.

After a busy 2025 summer transfer window, United were expected to perform at the level of other top Premier League clubs. Now, the Reds sit 7th in the league, with only three points separating them from 12th-placed Everton. They have been knocked out of the other League Cup and, most recently, the FA Cup. This result limits the legendary club to only the league this season.

United will finish back-to-back seasons trophy-less. Winning the Premier League this campaign is not even in the wildest dreams of any Man United faithful. However, a top-four finish cannot be ruled out altogether. For this reason, the board has decided Carrick is the man for the job.

The former United midfielder understandably knows the club pretty well after spending 12 long years at Old Trafford while making 464 appearances for the Reds.

He managed United for three games in November and December 2021 after Solskjær's sacking. He recorded a 2-0 Champions League group game win at Villarreal, a 1-1 draw at Chelsea in the Premier League, and a 3-2 league victory against Arsenal at Old Trafford. He departed unbeaten until Ralf Rangnick took charge for the rest of the season.

The 44-year-old was appointed manager of Championship side Middlesbrough in November 2022. He took the side from the bottom of the table to the top contenders for Premier League promotion. He also reached the League Cup semifinals in 2023-24 before being knocked out by Chelsea. Chelsea won the two-legged tie 7-2 on aggregate, despite a 1-0 home win for Middlesbrough in the first leg.

Boro played an attacking style of football under Carrick. He preferred to build from the back and maintain much of the possession throughout the game. This seemingly excited the fans during his spell.

Carrick is also credited with the development of players like Chuba Akpom, Hayden Hackney, and Morgan Rogers, who excelled during his tenure. United hopes he will do the same during his likely short spell at Old Trafford. Manchester United aims to finish within the top four spots at the end of the season. He takes charge starting from tomorrow's training session at Carrington, ahead of United's pivotal match against Manchester City on Saturday.

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