The Winners, Losers of Michael Carrick’s Permanent Man Utd Appointment

Manchester United’s new era has begun, handing Michael Carrick a permanent contract following a successful audition that transformed the team’s fortunes in the second half of the season.

Carrick began in perfect fashion, overseeing back-to-back wins over Manchester City and Arsenal in his first two games in charge. The Red Devils have won 11 of 16 matches under his leadership, taking 36 points from a possible 48 during that time and losing just twice. It is the best record of any team in the division over the same period and has underpinned Champions League qualification.

Going into the final weekend of the campaign, United are already guaranteed to finish third, making it only a fifth top-three finish in 13 seasons since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013—Ole Gunnar Solskjær was responsible for two of the others in 2019–20 and 2020–21, with José Mourinho (2017–18) and Erik ten Hag (2022–23) delivering one apiece.

Only 12 months on from a worst-ever Premier League season under Ruben Amorim, there is much optimism around Old Trafford heading into 2026–27. The squad needs recruitment, but the framework of a good team is in place and the Champions League will bring significant extra revenue.

But while Carrick’s appointment is good news for many, not everyone is necessarily a winner.

Winners

Kobbie Mainoo

Kobbie Mainoo’s story this season is hardly believable. The homegrown midfielder didn’t start a single Premier League game before Ruben Amorim’s departure in early January. Under Carrick, he’s started 15 of 16, only missing that one because of injury—United lost without him.

Carrick, himself a hugely accomplished deep-lying playmaker, openly values Mainoo’s attributes in the center of the pitch and has championed the 21-year-old from day one.

Individual managerial taste can make or break any player, and it has already threatened to break Mainoo once. With Carrick at his back, his career will continue to flourish and thrive.

Bruno Fernandes

Bruno Fernandes has enjoyed the freedom in recent months to play his best game and prove beyond doubt both his world-class ability and that he was never the problem.

The club captain has had multiple opportunities in recent transfer windows to leave and ultimately chose not to each time. He has been rewarded for that loyalty, with Carrick’s setup supercharging his ability to create chances and rack up assists that had been subject to limitations before.

‘United DNA’

Michael Carrick — Carrick ‘gets’ it like few others. | Ash Donelon/Manchester United/Getty Images

Carrick is proof that the intangible ‘United DNA’ actually matters. As someone with 15 years at the club under his belt, it’s no coincidence that his impact has been so positive. It was the same under Solskjær, the manager who has overseen the most consistent Premier League finishes in the post-Ferguson era, as someone else deeply in tune with the club’s identity.

United have peaked higher under Louis van Gaal, Mourinho and Ten Hag, but also fallen lower, and there is no substitute for ‘knowing’ the club.

It started under Sir Matt Busby and carried on with Ferguson at the helm. United fans expect fast, direct soccer, with the primary focus on creating chances and scoring goals. Carrick has brought that back by unraveling the overly intricate tactical systems previously in place.

Sometimes, simple is best.

Homegrown Talent

JJ Gabriel — Youngsters stand a great chance of progression. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

During his own career, Carrick came through the ranks at West Ham United, given the chance to become an established first-team player from the age of 19. There is a similar culture at Old Trafford that he is well aware of and has already alluded to a keenness to blood new talent.

“A massive part of me, and for this football club, is to try and bring the younger players on and give them opportunities to see what they can do, for sure,” he said this month.

Ultimately, that could even include 15-year-old prodigy JJ Gabriel from next season.

Losers

Ruben Amorim

The former manager was ultimately not the right fit. His recruitment caused a split in the senior leadership team eventually leading to the end of Dan Ashworth’s brief reign as sporting director and the tactical system the Portuguese wanted to implement was never right for the players he had.

Carrick’s success, both in the interim period and now being chosen as the new permanent manager, is in stark contrast to the Amorim era. That the same group of players can that struggled for consistency before has come to the fore as the Premier League’s most in-form team over four months is damning for the former boss, who was accused of overcomplicating things.

Andoni Iraola

Had Carrick not done as well as he has and given United no choice but to award him with a permanent contract, there is a chance Andoni Iraola could have been starting next season sitting in the manager’s office at Carrington.

The Spaniard has put Bournemouth on the brink of Champions League qualification, with European competition of some sort already guaranteed for next season at the Vitality Stadium. His brand of high-tempo soccer had the potential to be very popular at Old Trafford, while Iraola has a reputation for making already talented players better.

At one stage, Iraola was seen as the most—and possibly only—viable alternative to Carrick that the United hierarchy had identified. But he hasn’t got the job.

Roy Keane

Former United captain Roy Keane, who had left the club a few months before Carrick was signed as a player in 2006, made his disdain for Carrick’s potential appointment clear as early as January.

After the interim boss had masterminded the victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, largely by stripping back to basics and tapping into the core United identity, Keane insisted Carrick was “absolutely not” the right person to lead the team in the long run.

“If United win every game until the end of the season, I still wouldn’t be giving him the job. I still wouldn’t be convinced he’s the man for the job,” Keane declared live on Sky Sports. “They need a bigger and better manager. Are we going to sit here and believe Michael Carrick can get United winning league titles? It’s not enough for me.”

Keane had already rehashed old beef with Carrick’s wife, Lisa, who hit out at the retired midfielder in 2014. He referred to her “big mouth” when her husband was appointed 12 years later.

Manuel Ugarte

Manuel Ugarte’s time as a Manchester United player might now draw to a close.

The Uruguay international, who has struggled to establish himself in the Premier League in two seasons since a high-profile transfer from Paris Saint-Germain, has started only once under Carrick—one of only two defeats for the team since January.

There was always the possibility that Ugarte could have enjoyed a resurgence under a different new manager, but Carrick’s permanent appointment effectively locks in the personnel preferences that have been witnessed over the past few months.

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