At the start of the new year, Rúben Amorim’s spell in charge of Manchester United came to an abrupt end after a fiery post-match press conference following a 1–1 draw with Leeds United.

With Darren Fletcher taking interim charge for two matches, the club’s shortlist reportedly came down to a reunion with Ole Gunnar Solskjær or a move for Michael Carrick, who had been out of work since leaving Middlesbrough in June 2025.

In the end, INEOS chose the less conventional route, placing their faith in Carrick to lead the team through the remainder of the season and push for European qualification.

Rather than simply stabilising things after Amorim’s turbulent exit, the former United midfielder exceeded expectations dramatically, securing consecutive wins over Manchester City and Arsenal to set the tone.

Across his first ten matches, Carrick has guided United to seven wins, two draws, and just one defeat, lifting the club to third in the Premier League.

After a nearly one-month pause in league action, United returned with a disappointing 2-1 loss to Leeds at Old Trafford, but bounced back just five days later with a narrow 1-0 win over Chelsea.

Following the side's 1-0 win over Chelsea, Champions League football is all but secured, with United having a ten-point cushion to sixth place, with just five games left to be played.

Despite the upturn in form after the side's bad display against Leeds, opinion on Carrick's permanent appointment became split, with some wondering whether the club would be much better off going for a more experienced manager.

Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, legendary Man Utd left-back Patrice Evra insisted that Carrick is the right man for the job, noting that he wants to see consistency and faith shown in a boss, likening the situation to what's going on at Chelsea.

" We’ll have to start from zero again. I just feel like we’ll become like Chelsea every year. And this is not United, we need consistency. Carra is doing miracles!"

"I don’t know why they think too much about the future. The present is Carra to get the top four spot. That’s the goal, and I think we are in a good direction for that. 

"We keep saying experience or whatever. We try with big names, with [Jose] Mourinho, with [Louis] Van Gaal, with Amorim. That’s why, for me, should Carra get the job? This is not the question of the day, of the moment.

"Carra is doing a good job, so let’s be behind him and then at the end of the season, if he doesn’t qualify the team [for the Champions League], then I will understand if some people say we need a new manager.

In an ideal world, there would be a clear candidate who ticks all the boxes that INEOS are looking at, but the manager market will be a tricky one to navigate this summer.

The World Cup this summer means that if United pursue the likes of Julian Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel or Carlo Ancelotti, they won't have much time with the squad before the start of the 2026/27 Premier League campaign.

Evra was extremely impressed by Carrick's start to life at United, and doesn't see why the club can't stick with the former United midfielder going forward.

"Personally, I couldn’t believe the first game against [Manchester] City, the way we played, I was like, wow! All the players are passionate. Even if you bring an amazing tactician or a big name, it didn’t work in the past.

"Why don’t we have someone from the house? He knows the club, he’s really calm, and he’s doing a good job."

"Do we need someone to win straight away? Do we have the players to win the Premier League? That’s what I mean.

"Amorim, every player he bought, now we see the quality of those players, so Carrick is doing a good job with them. Give him a chance."