Michael Carrick will ‘100%’ manage Manchester United in the future after interim stint

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed how Michael Carrick said he did not want to be Man United’s interim manager in a personal meeting following the Norwegian’s sacking.

Solskjaer was awarded his marching order in November 2021 after losing 4–1 to Watford, ending his three-year tenure at the club.

Former United midfielder Carrick was appointed to temporarily replace the Norwegian and oversaw two defeats and a draw before deciding to leave the club.

However, Solskjaer has revealed how Carrick – now the manager of Championship side Middlesbrough – came to him after 10 days to say he didn’t want to run the club without him.

“I don’t want to do this,” Carrick said in an interview with The Athletic. “We were in it together and we weren’t together anymore.

Solskjaer has revealed how Carrick came to him after 10 days to say he didn’t want to run the club without him because they were ‘in it together’

As a result, Ralf Rangnick temporarily took charge of the Red Devils until the end of the season

As a result, Ralf Rangnick was appointed interim manager of the club – and Carrick stepped aside once the German’s work permit was approved.

Solskjaer told The Athletic about his relationship with Carrick: “As a player you want to do well for Michael because he cares about you. He wants you to get the best out of yourself. If I were a player I would want him as a manager because he wouldn’t be unreasonable. He knows what he wants. He demands respect and hard work, but he also gives it back.

“He is knowledgeable, he works hard. When I was at United in 2018 I have to say Michael and Kieran were mostly in the office for me. They were meticulous and looked at every detail.’

Solskjaer spoke further about his relationship with Carrick, explaining how the 41-year-old said he did not want to be Man United interim manager in a personal meeting following the Norwegian’s sacking.

“At United I sometimes saw Michael talking to the players. Some of them were ex-teammates of his, which is not easy, but he had authority over him. I am 100 per cent sure that Michael will be the manager of Manchester United if he wants to.

“I love him as a person, but even though he never said a word to me about it, the day I got booted I went up to him and said, ‘I’m out, they want you to take over.’ I told him I wanted him to. After ten days, Michael came to me and said, “I don’t want to do this. We were in it together and we weren’t together anymore”.

I took that as a compliment, because I had the utmost respect for him. If you see the interview I did when I left the club, I got emotional when I started talking about Michael. Then I got really emotional. We don’t spend too many hours together in our private lives, but it was pure respect for him.

“Michael is a man of value and principle, a great family man, but his knowledge is also second to none. He has had Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho as managers and he has played with the best players in the world. He’s a winner, but he’s still in control of his emotions. I don’t see him as the manager of Manchester United.’

Carrick (above) took over as manager of Middlesbrough in October 2022

Solskjaer was suspended following United’s 4-1 defeat to Watford in November 2021, as the Norwegian manager had lost seven of his last 13 games.

A club statement read: ‘Manchester United announce that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has stepped down from his role as manager. Ole will always be a legend at Manchester United and we are sorry we have come to this difficult decision.

While the past few weeks have been disappointing, they should not obscure all the work he has done over the past three years to rebuild the foundations for long-term success.

Ole leaves with our sincere thanks for his tireless efforts as a manager and our very best wishes for the future. His place in the club’s history will always be safe, not only because of his story as a player, but also as a great man and manager who gave us many great moments. He will forever be welcome at Old Trafford as part of the Manchester United family.

“Michael Carrick will now take charge of the team for the next few games, while the club is looking for an interim manager before the end of the season.”

Carrick temporarily took charge of the club until Ralf Rangnick was appointed as the club’s new interim manager.

Carrick decided to leave Old Trafford after his last game as United manager – claiming he wanted some time off.

Speaking to Amazon Prime after United’s win over Arsenal in 2021, Carrick said: “It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but I feel it’s the right one.

“I was supposed to take time off after I finished playing and that never happened. It feels like the right time to step away and what a way to end.

“It’s 100 percent my decision. Over the past week I was aware that I respected the club and the manager who came in. I thought it was the right thing to do for the club and for Ralf [Rangnick] and I’m quite happy about that.

“We were in a situation where there was a responsibility to continue these games. Loyalty to Ole is a bit of a factor, but there were a lot of things that played into my decision.

“I’ve had great times, great memories and I’m proud of the players of the last three games. I just told them and they were a little shocked and surprised, a little emotional in the locker room. I just about kept it together. It wasn’t easy keeping it away from people, but I had work to do.’

Carrick took over as Middlesbrough manager in October 2022 – his first full-time managerial role.