Michael Carrick has admitted he feels “at home” in the dugout as Manchester United manager as he opened the door to a long-term role with the Red Devils.
Carrick was drafted in last month as an interim boss following the departure of Ruben Amorim, tasked with leading the team until the end of the season to give United officials plenty of time to find a permanent replacement.
After a hot start, which has included victories over Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, many have urged United to hand Carrick a long-term contract. While the boss insisted his early fortunes should not impact the decision, he made it clear he would gleefully accept the chance to stay.
“Nothing’s changed, to be honest,” he said.
“I’m fully aware of the role I’m doing here and the responsibility I’ve got. We want to be successful, and I want the club to be successful beyond the end of the season—if that’s me, if that’s somebody else.
“At this stage, I can’t control that and we’ll see what happens, but it’s certainly about trying to improve the team and making Manchester United stronger. Results over a short period of time don’t change that.
“If they have changed there is something wrong. It can’t be so knee-jerk whether it’s really good or whether there’s a few issues we need to solve.”
He added: “I’m loving what I’m doing. I’m here. I feel at home here, but I fully understand the situation, so I’m not getting too carried away.”
Man Utd’s Options for Next Permanent Manager
As Carrick says, his mission is not to think about the future. His contract names him as the interim boss until the end of the season, with no guarantees about a long-term role at Old Trafford.
That being said, agreements like this always feature an unspoken acceptance that the next four months can be used as an audition for Carrick. Just ask Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who took charge in 2019 after exceeding expectations as caretaker over the three previous months.
Without discrediting any of Carrick’s previous work, it’s clear he does not come with the experience usually expected from United’s permanent manager. The Red Devils will have a long list of more seasoned targets and will now spend the next few months deciding whether any are worth pursuing.
Among those under consideration are Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, who has already confirmed he will walk away from Selhurst Park at the end of the season. Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth is another tipped to take the next step in his career soon.
Elsewhere, former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca and ex-Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso have been named as candidates, while the freedom to wait until the summer opens the door to the international scene. Mauricio Pochettino, currently of the United States, has long-term admirers around Old Trafford, as do Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann and England’s Thomas Tuchel.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Michael Carrick Drops Huge Hint Over Man Utd Future With Latest Manager Search Update.
