Michael Carrick has been tasked with leading Manchester United back to the Champions League during his six months in charge of the team, a report has revealed.
Having parted ways with Ruben Amorim earlier this month, United have put temporary control of the side in the hands of Carrick, the former Middlesbrough boss and an Old Trafford favourite after his 12 years as a player between 2006 and 2018.
Carrick has 17 games to oversee in the terms of his contract as interim manager, beginning with Saturday’s derby against Manchester City. With United already out of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, their focus is solely on the Premier League.
According to The Athletic, Carrick’s mission is to secure qualification for the Champions League and end their spell away from Europe’s top competition which has been ongoing ever since early elimination from the group stage under Erik ten Hag in 2023–24.
Carrick is said to be well aware of the pressure that comes with such lofty expectations, but also confident of his ability to get United over the line.
United begin the Carrick era seventh in the Premier League standings, three points adrift of Liverpool in fourth. The team in fifth has a strong chance of qualification thanks to UEFA’s award of European Performance Spots, but this will not be confirmed until far later in the season.
Carrick: I Know How to Succeed at Man Utd
Darren Fletcher, caretaker manager before Carrick’s appointment, called on his successor to offer the support needed to what he saw as a “fragile” United squad.
It appears as though Carrick is up for the challenge, urging everyone inside Old Trafford to “pull together” in search of the higher standards expected by both fans and those above him in the United hierarchy.
“Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honour,” Carrick explained. “I know what it takes to succeed here; my focus is now on helping the players to reach the standards that we expect at this incredible club, which we know that this group is more than capable of producing.
“I have worked with a number of the players already and have obviously continued to watch the team closely in recent years, I have total belief in their talents, dedication and ability to be successful here.
“There is still a lot to fight for this season, we are ready to pull everyone together and give the fans the performances that their loyal support deserves.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Michael Carrick’s ‘Objective’ As Man Utd Interim Manager Revealed.
