Michael Carrick is in the frame for the Man Utd job but he still has obstacles to overcome and there are a few fixtures that could define how things go for him.

Michael Carrick might now be the bookmakers’ favourite to be Manchester United’s head coach at the start of next season, but inside Old Trafford, there is no desire to get carried away.

Carrick himself has urged United to take their time over an appointment and avoid any “knee-jerk” decisions, so they are in no rush to confirm a coronation after five games in charge for the 44-year-old, even if they have been an impressive five games.

The former United midfielder is now odds-on to keep the job and some of his rivals for the job have either been ruled out of the running (Thomas Tuchel) or seen their own stock fall at a crucial time (Oliver Glasner, Roberto De Zerbi).

FOLLOW OUR MAN UNITED FACEBOOK PAGE! Latest news and analysis via the MEN’s Manchester United Facebook page

But with a dozen games still to go this season and work to be done to guarantee United’s return to the Champions League, these are the games that could yet be make or break for Carrick.

Everton (away) – Monday, February 23

United’s first trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium will present a similar challenge to the West Ham game. Nuno Espirito Santo’s team sat deep, denied space and made it difficult for Carrick’s side to create anything.

It left a couple of questions unanswered about the ability to break down a deep defence and a compact team. Can Carrick and his coaching staff find the answers in the 13-day break between games?

If United go to the banks of the Mersey, produce a better attacking performance, and show they have the tactical game plan to open up a low block, then it will be considered a major success for Carrick.

Newcastle (away) – Wednesday, March 4

The intensity and aggression of Newcastle’s play have been difficult for United to handle in recent seasons, and in truth, they were lucky to win the reverse fixture at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.

United have lost their last three trips to St James’ Park and by an aggregate score of 7-1. Newcastle have won the shot count 57-23 in those matches, and it has been one-way traffic. The last time United won there was in front of empty stands in October 2020.

Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings

So what sort of performance will Carrick’s men deliver? The fact that this is the last remaining midweek game, sandwiched between two weekend fixtures, makes it another test, given the lack of training ground time to prepare for an intense battle.

Bournemouth (away) – Friday, March 20

Carrick has a couple of chances to get one over potential rivals for the job this summer. He faces Glasner’s Crystal Palace on March 1 at Old Trafford and then, later the same month, Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth on the south coast.

The Basque’s football is probably more translatable to a higher level and his record against United is excellent. Bournemouth are a team that runs up and down all day, and they will look to really test United.

Bournemouth’s last three visits to Old Trafford have ended in two 3-0 wins and a 4-4 draw, and in total, they are five unbeaten against United. They look to be finding some form again, and this could be a decisive test for Carrick against one of the Premier League’s best coaches, who has his eye on a big job this summer.

Liverpool (home) – Saturday, May 2 (TBC)

In the space of three games at the end of April, United face Chelsea away and Liverpool at home in what is clearly a big couple of weeks in the race for Champions League football.

It is possible that those three teams could yet reel in Aston Villa, but for now it looks a simple equation of two from three for Champions League football between a trio of traditional powerhouses in the Premier League.

The outcome of their games against each other will be crucial. A trip to Stamford Bridge will be tricky, but it is Liverpool on the outside looking in at the moment. Any win against them is big for a United coach and if Carrick gets one over Arne Slot at Old Trafford in a potentially defining fixture in the battle for Europe, it will be a momentous day.

Brighton (away) – Sunday, May 24

The final day of the season and we can only guess where United will be by then. Possibly in third, which would surely make Carrick a certainty for the job. Fourth would probably do the job as well. Maybe they will still need a result at the Amex Stadium.

It’s worth rewinding to the season when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came in as interim manager, started off brilliantly, but then saw results nosedive. He had been given the job on a permanent basis in March, but had United waited until the end of the season, they would have probably made a different decision.

None of the last six games of that season ended in a win, and only two of the last 12 were victories. It was probably a sign of things to come. Carrick has started brilliantly, but he will need to finish brilliantly as well to make sure of a contract extension.