Image source: football365.com
Manchester United are leaning towards appointing Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season following interviews with both Carrick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after Ruben Amorim’s dismissal last week, with a decision expected on Monday ahead of Saturday’s Manchester derby.
Michael Carrick Emerges as Leading Candidate for Manchester United Interim Role
Carrick has emerged from the interview process ahead of Solskjaer to become the interim manager according to reports, with the former United midfielder meeting director of football Jason Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada on Thursday. Solskjaer subsequently met the same pair at Carrington on Saturday as the club conducted their selection process for a temporary appointment until the season’s end.
No offer has been made to either candidate, but United are reportedly leaning towards Carrick for the position. The club’s hierarchy want to give their new appointment maximum time to prepare for Saturday’s derby against Manchester City at Old Trafford, with Wilcox and Berrada expected to make their final decision on Monday morning when current caretaker Darren Fletcher reports to Carrington.
Fletcher has overseen United’s last two fixtures following Amorim’s sacking, presiding over a Premier League draw at Burnley and Sunday’s FA Cup defeat to Brighton that ended their season in the competition. After the Brighton loss, Fletcher revealed he had received zero discussions with the club’s hierarchy over his own candidacy for the role and had been given zero indications about their thinking on the appointment.
The interim manager will inherit what Fletcher described as a fragile squad following a morale-sapping week that saw their cup exit. Fletcher told TNT Sports that the players are fragile but must respond, emphasizing that confidence is one of the most powerful things in football and when players don’t have it, they must dig deep for it to return.
Fletcher urged the squad not to waste the season despite their struggles, stating there remains a lot to play for with Champions League qualification still achievable. He emphasized that with players returning from injury and AFCON, a fuller squad has the ability to qualify for Champions League places, which should be their objective and mindset for the remainder of the campaign.
