Manchester United have appointed Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season.
Carrick has emerged as a frontrunner for a temporary role after the club concluded discussions with the former midfielder and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following the departure of Ruben Amorim on January 5.
Sky Sports News We understand the club’s hierarchy are impressed with Carrick’s plans for the remainder of the season.
Manchester United can only focus on the Premier League after losing 2-1 to Brighton in the FA Cup on Sunday. It was a game overseen by head coach Darren Fletcher. Following the defeat, plans to appoint an interim manager were accelerated.
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Darren Fletcher has given his honest assessment of Manchester United following their FA Cup exit on Sunday.
Carrick’s first game in charge of the club will be Saturday’s Manchester derby. Sky Sports live broadcast.
Gareth Southgate’s former England coach Steve Holland will be Carrick’s No.2, while former Boro coach and Leeds player Jonathan Woodgate, current U21 coach Travis Binnion and Jonny Evans, who rejoined the club during Darren Fletcher’s interim spell, will all form part of the backroom team.
Carrick returns to Manchester United
Carrick made 464 appearances for the club during his 12 years at Old Trafford but remained on Jose Mourinho’s coaching staff following his retirement in 2018.
Saturday, January 17th, 11am
Kickoff at 12:30 PM
After Mourinho was sacked in December of that year, Carrick was briefly appointed interim manager before joining Solskjaer’s backroom staff upon his arrival.
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Charlie Austin joins Sky Sports News’ fan club and talks about the state of Manchester United’s management.
The pair, who were in the running to succeed Ruben Amorim on a temporary basis, remained at the club permanently when Solskjaer took over the job in March 2019.
The Norwegian coach was sacked in November 2021 and Carrick took over as caretaker manager again with wins over Villarreal and Arsenal and a point at Chelsea to extend the side’s three-game unbeaten run.
Carrick stepped down from his role and left the club following the arrival of Ralf Rangnick before taking up his post at Middlesbrough in October 2022.
Boro were 21st when he took charge, one point above the relegation zone, but narrowly missed out on promotion that year after rising to fourth after losing to Coventry City in the play-off semi-finals.
Carrick led the team to 8th and 10th places over the next two seasons, before leaving in June 2025.
What is the character’s style?
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Sky Sports’ David Reed looks at how Manchester United could potentially line up under Michael Carrick and analyzes his style of play during his time at Middlesbrough.
Carrick primarily played in a 4-2-3-1 formation during his time at Middlesbrough, occasionally using Sir Alex Ferguson’s preferred 4-4-2 formation six times. This was more than the five times he opted for a three-back system.
Under his watch, Middlesbrough recorded league-leading figures for high turnovers and fast breaks, and also ranked high in build-up attacks and direct attacks.
Given this, Carrick is likely to implement a 4-2-3-1 with an attacking press, combining patient build-up with frequent transitions to long passes and quick transitions.
Manchester United’s next five games
- January 17: Man City (H) – Premier League, 12:30 PM kick-off Sky Sports live broadcast
- January 25: Arsenal (A) – Premier League, 4.30pm kick-off; Sky Sports live broadcast
- February 1: Fulham (H) – Premier League, 2pm kick-off Sky Sports live broadcast
- February 7th: Tottenham (H) – Premier League, kickoff 12:30 p.m.
- February 10: West Ham (A) – Premier League, 8.15pm kick-off
