Manchester United are set to hold talks with Michael Carrick to appoint him as Ruben Amorim’s permanent successor, talkSPORT understands.
An executive committee meeting this week is expected to ratify Carrick as the preferred candidate ahead of formal talks.
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United sources insist Carrick’s appointment is not a done deal, which is reflected by talkSPORT’s understanding that the club has considered an approach for Aston Villa boss Unai Emery.
Regardless, formal movement is expected to take place following the meeting.
Carrick is in the box seat to lead United beyond the summer after guiding them to Champions League qualification.
A 3-2 win over historic rivals Liverpool secured the Red Devils’ return to Europe’s elite club competition.
How United have performed since Carrick took charge
It was Carrick’s 10th win from 14 games since he replaced Amorim on a temporary basis.
Impressively, Carrick’s record in his second caretaker stint at United reads 10 wins, three draws and only two defeats from 15 games, all of which have been in the Premier League.
In fact, no team has won more than United’s 33 points since Carrick’s appointment, with cross-city rivals Manchester City picking up the next most with 31.
Carrick’s tenure has also coincided with drastic turnarounds from a number of key United stars.
Under Carrick, Red Devils skipper Bruno Fernandes has resumed his role as the club’s chief creator with 12 assists in his last 15 league games.
Fernandes’ remarkable form this term earned him the Football Writers’ Association (FWA) men’s Footballer of the Year award.
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The Portuguese superstar’s crowning made him the first United player to pick up the gong since Wayne Rooney in 2010.
Another midfielder who has returned to prominence under Carrick is academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo.
Mainoo was largely left in the cold by Amorim this season, with his only start under the former United boss coming in their humiliating Carabao Cup exit away to Grimsby Town.
But the 21-year-old has returned to the form that earned him a spot in the England squad at Euro 2024 as he’s started all but one of Carrick’s 15 matches in charge.
Mainoo’s resurgence also earned him a new contract which included a handy six-fold salary increase.
Although Carrick has helped raise the levels of United’s stars, he doesn’t boast a wealth of managerial experience.
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The 44-year-old has only one permanent appointment to his name, which was at Middlesbrough.
But Carrick ultimately failed to steer Boro back to the Premier League and was sacked at the end of the 2024/25 Championship campaign after he oversaw a 10th-place finish.
Why United must stick with Carrick
Despite his relative inexperience, United content creator Miles Addy believes Carrick deserves the opportunity given he’s ‘not really put much of a foot wrong’.
“What I’ve been thinking about over the last couple of games or so is, at what point are we going to decide who the manager is and stick by the man, and not in 18 months’ time say, ‘This guy isn’t doing as well as we thought he was, let’s just get rid,'” Addy said on the latest episode on Inside Devils.
“When can we get back to the times where we actually stick behind our man? Football has gone down the route of every year, if it’s not going right, we’re just going to get rid and start a new project again.
“You need to give Carrick a couple of windows, in my opinion, and I think you just need to stick by your man. He’s not really put much of a foot wrong.
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“Yes, we can look at other managers, (Luis) Enrique might be available. He probably won’t be. If he is, why would he want the project of Manchester United anyway? To some people, it might be a bit of a poisoned chalice.
“I just think, stick by Carrick and let’s ride it out and see how it goes. I don’t really see much fault in that.
“I know we’re talking about wanting to win the league in two, three years, that might not be as realistic of a goal as we all think.
“In my opinion, I really do believe Carrick should be at the helm.
“I don’t necessarily think that he is the guy, but we need to give him a chance.”
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