Michael Carrick Looking to Join Exclusive Man Utd Club Against Tottenham

Life could hardly be going better after wins over Man City, Arsenal and Fulham.

Michael Carrick has masterminded some huge victories. | Shaun Brooks/CameraSport via Getty Images

Michael Carrick could become just the third manager in Manchester United history to win their first four competitive games when the Red Devils face Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham have all fallen to Carrick’s side over the past few weeks as the interim boss has enjoyed a stunning start to life in the dugout—one similar to another famous temporary boss.

At the end of 2018, Ole Gunnar Solskjær began his caretaker stint in electric fashion, joining the legendary Sir Matt Busby as the only United managers to win their first four competitive fixtures.

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Carrick’s Campaign for Permanent Man Utd Job

Carrick has made a perfect start. | Ash Donelon/Manchester United/Getty Images

When United reunited with Carrick last month, their intentions were clear. He was to lead the team until the end of the season while the Red Devils conduct a thorough search for a permanent hire. Everyone involved agreed to those terms.

There will have undoubtedly been unspoken feelings on both sides that the next five months could be an audition for Carrick, whose track record of Championship management would typically fall short of the experience required of a permanent United boss.

That said, when the job is to win games, Carrick has so far done an excellent job of keeping his name in the hat.

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Michael Carrick’s First Three Man Utd Games

Opponent	Result
Man City (H)	2–0
Arsenal (A)	2–3
Fulham (H)	3–2

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Victories over Manchester City and Arsenal were statement showings from United, who made it three on the bounce with a complicated win at home to Fulham to put Carrick 90 minutes away from making it to four.

In truth, streaks like this mean little, with United undoubtedly more interested in performance levels and the manager’s ability to get the most out of his players, but there’s no denying Carrick’s case will be strengthened by a hot streak to start his tenure.

After all, we’ve seen it before.

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Solskjær Proves Path to Permanent Post

Ole Gunnar Solskjær went from caretaker to permanent manager. | TF-Images/Getty Images

Carrick’s situation echoes that of Solskjær, who joined in 2018 as a stopgap boss until the end of the season. There were low expectations of a manager whose prior experience included only the Norwegian top flight, a Premier League relegation and an early sacking from the English second tier, and yet he willed his way to the permanent job.

Not only did Solskjær win his first four games, but he actually tied Busby at five and even went beyond the club legend to win his first eight matches across all competitions.

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Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s Perfect Man Utd Start

Opponent	Result
Cardiff (A)	1–5
Huddersfield (H)	3–1
Bournemouth (H)	4–1
Newcastle (A)	0–2
Reading (H)	2–0
Tottenham (A)	0–1
Brighton (H)	2–1
Arsenal (A)	1–3

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Solskjær’s hot streak was ended by a 2–2 draw with Burnley, before he returned to winning ways with two straight victories over Leicester City and Fulham.

Those early celebrations will have been taken into account when United considered appointing Solskjær full-time, although his crowning moment was the comeback victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16, which was so impressive that United could not deny him the post even after the two defeats that followed.

Carrick is searching for his own PSG moment but, with United already dumped out of all other competitions, such high-profile fixtures are rare and he is perhaps unfortunate that his blockbuster wins over City and Arsenal came so early in his tenure, when a decision over a permanent boss was never going to be made.

Saturday’s meeting with Spurs is just one of three remaining games against members of the ‘Big Six,’ a title to which Spurs are clinging on down in 14th in the standings. Chelsea head to Old Trafford in mid-April, two weeks before Carrick takes his side to Anfield to face Liverpool.

Without discrediting any of United’s other upcoming opponents, those are the only fixtures which will be amplified to such glamorous heights over the next few months, meaning they will be particularly important to Carrick as he eyes a long-term seat in the United dugout.

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