Michael Carrick says Manchester United should not make a “knee-jerk” decision about who will be their long-term head coach based on his bright start after taking temporary charge.
The former United midfielder, captain and coach was appointed until the end of the season after Ruben Amorim’s 14-month spell ended in early January. Carrick has won his first three matches in charge — against Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham — lifting United to fourth in the Premier League.
Asked about the impact of those results, the 44-year-old, who has been nominated for January’s Premier League Manager of the Month, insisted they should not dictate long-term choices. “Nothing’s changed, no, to be honest,” he said. “It’s not going to change what I do, or how I feel about it. I think I’m fully aware of the role I’m doing here and the responsibility I’ve got.”
Carrick stressed his focus is on improving the team and making United stronger beyond the end of the season, whether that means he stays or someone else arrives. “If that’s me, if that’s somebody else at this stage, I can’t control that and we’ll see what happens,” he added. “But it’s certainly about trying to improve the team and keep making Manchester United stronger and improving all the time. The results over a short period of time don’t change that.”
He warned against overreacting to a short run of form, either positive or negative. “If they have changed that, there’s something wrong. It can’t be so knee-jerk either way, whether it’s really good or whether there are a few issues we need to solve. It’s steady progress, really. You know that football can twist and turn just as quick, so we have got to keep it a bit level, really, and keep focusing on what we need to do.”
United face Tottenham at Old Trafford on Saturday, followed by a trip to former club West Ham on Tuesday. Carrick said he is enjoying the job and feels at home, but is mindful of the interim nature of his role: “I’m loving what I’m doing. I’m here, you know. I feel at home here but I fully understand the situation, so I’m not getting too carried away.”
The club opted for Carrick to oversee the remainder of the season after also speaking to former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The decision to appoint a coach familiar with the club is intended to provide continuity while director of football Jason Wilcox conducts a thorough recruitment process for a long-term appointment.
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson suggested Carrick still needs to be tested under pressure to prove himself: “What he needs — and it probably wouldn’t help him — is to win five or six on the trot, then lose three or four on the trot, and then how do you respond? People will say he should never be Man Utd coach. But when you lose those three or four games and the scrutiny comes on you at the biggest club in the world, how are you going to cope?” Merson added that handling such swings in form is how managers at top clubs are truly judged.