There’s no denying that supporters have grown tired of the frequent managerial change at Manchester United, with the cycle needing to end at some stage.
Michael Carrick, a man who won it all at Old Trafford as a player, deserves time to prove he is up to the task as a permanent manager, having earned that trust following a fine end to last season.
And yet, having overseen the club’s joint-worst start to a Premier League campaign, the Englishman can’t escape the criticism and the scrutiny coming his way, with any pre-season optimism quickly extinguished.
There are caveats, of course, not least the mish-mash nature of this expensively-assembled squad, but in terms of results and performance levels, the buck stops with Carrick.
Why Carrick is right to be under pressure at Man Utd
On the one hand, Carrick’s playing career warrants a show of faith and patience, as does his work as interim boss, with the 45-year-old creditably steadying the ship, and then some, in the first-half of 2026.
|
Carrick – Interim vs Permanent |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Interim** |
Stat (*per game) |
Permanent |
|
16 |
Games |
8 |
|
11 |
Wins |
3 |
|
3 |
Draws |
2 |
|
2 |
Losses |
3 |
|
21 |
Players used |
25 |
|
1.88 |
Goals* |
2.13 |
|
1.13 |
Goals conceded* |
1.38 |
|
2.25 |
Points |
1.38 |
|
**second interim/caretaker spell only |
||
There’s also the clear issue of the former Middlesbrough boss having been let down in the transfer market, left with Luke Shaw as the only senior option at left-back, while desperately short on quality and depth in the centre-forward ranks.
All that being said, this squad and this team should have been capable of picking up far more points following a rather kind run of fixtures, the desperate defeat away at Hull City setting the tone for what has followed.
The Red Devils have won just two games in all competitions so far, although it’s the manner of the displays that has been most concerning, particularly over the past week.
Against Manchester City, the hosts were desperately short of ideas up against ten men, with Carrick only making two changes as his side chased an equaliser, the first of which came on the 67-minute mark.
The subsequent collapse at home to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup was even more damning, the men in red wilting before our very eyes in such concerning fashion.
Gary Neville’s assessment of the weekend draw against Fulham was completely overblown and unnecessary, but there was clearly a sense of lethargy among the visitors at Craven Cottage.
Carrick’s men are merely allowing games to drift, with it set to also be another season that passes them by if they’re not careful.
How Man Utd could upgrade on Carrick
The meeting with struggling Tottenham Hotspur after the international break already feels like a pivotal one for both clubs, with rumours rife that a change could be in the offing in the dugout.
In the case of Spurs, former Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna was recently pictured in the crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, sparking intrigue as to what that might mean for Roberto De Zerbi.
The Irishman was previously part of the academy set-up in north London, prior to heading to Manchester to continue his coaching career, having been part of the first-team ranks under both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
A return to one of his former employers could be on the cards before too long by all accounts, with Football FanCast exclusively reporting that McKenna is now open to a return to management.
The 40-year-old is said to be ready to talk to either side, amid the ongoing managerial uncertainty, having been out of work since leaving Ipswich Town of his own accord earlier this year.
Now, this might not be the glamour Carrick replacement that supporters would be demanding, particularly with McKenna enduring relegation during his solitary Premier League campaign at Portman Road.
And yet, this is a man whom United legend Nicky Butt described as “one of the best coaches I’ve ever seen on the grass”, the pair previously working alongside each other at Carrington.
McKenna’s record in reviving Ipswich’s fortunes shouldn’t be overlooked either, with Tractor Boys having been languishing in League One when he took charge in December 2021.
Across his four full seasons in charge thereafter, he oversaw three promotions and one relegation, twice taking the Suffolk side back into the Premier League.
His record in the EFL, or more specifically in the Championship, certainly compares favourably in contrast to Carrick, the latter man ultimately receiving the sack at the Riverside last year.
In 122 Championship games, excluding the playoffs, Carrick won 56 times, boasting a points-per-game ratio of 1.57.
For comparison, his former United colleague won 51 games in the competition from only 92 games, enjoying a far superior points-per-game ratio of 1.96.
That is a significant difference, it must be said, with McKenna likely to be a suitable appointment to work with this group of players, amid his own preference for a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Of course, there may well be a feeling that United need to set their sights far higher, in terms of the next managerial hire, yet even so, if looking at a way to potentially upgrade on Carrick, McKenna might well be the solution.
