The first time Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his regime hired a manager for Manchester United, they considered him the most exciting young coach in Europe. The second time they did, they hired a man dismissed by Middlesbrough the previous year. But if Ruben Amorim brought the charisma, Michael Carrick has offered calmness. The excitement from Carrick stemmed from his football, not his personality or his public pronouncements.
Carrick proved the ideal interim, the Amorim antidote. But after four months of Carrick, they decided they wanted more. When he stepped into a short-term task at Old Trafford, he was still an outsider to be offered the job for next season. He became the obvious choice. There was a meritocratic case for Carrick, and he has got a two-year deal. He has earned it: not so much with his time at Middlesbrough, though that showed some promise, but with his results. United have procured the most points since Carrick’s return; 36 in 16 games. Without ever officially announcing his candidature, he took possession of the job.
