Michael Carrick wants the top job at Manchester United – but knows his managerial future is bright whatever Old Trafford bosses decide to do

16:00, 02 Mar 2026

Michael Carrick can look forward to this summer with a combination of curiosity and excitement.

Because whatever happens, it will be one which will finish with him feeling like a winner. The ideal scenario for Carrick would be for him to be handed the Manchester United job on a permanent basis.

And it’s becoming impossible to imagine why he won’t. Instead of looking for alternative options to Carrick, United’s co-owners Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazers should find themselves struggling to find reasons not to give him the job full-time.

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Somehow he has engineered six wins from seven games in an unbeaten run since replacing the sacked Ruben Amorim. United have now leapfrogged a team who were in the title race a few weeks ago (Aston Villa), and seem destined for a return to the Champions League.

But Carrick is not stupid. He’s intelligent enough to appreciate he works for United. A club which has excelled in making the wrong decisions in recent times. Carrick would regard getting the job as the ultimate honour. But his ambitions are not restricted to just chucking his eggs in one basket.

And if he continues to impress at the rate he has done, his stock will have never been higher come the end of the season. At a time when numerous clubs will be looking for new managers. Tottenham for starters, his former club, and one which might well find themselves in the Championship ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

Who better to guide them back to the top flight, should the worst happen, than Carrick, who threatened to get Middlesbrough promoted to the Premier League during his time on Teeside?

Crystal Palace are also on the hunt for Oliver Glasner’s replacement, while the chances are Nottingham Forest and West Ham will also have vacancies.

If United make the nonsensical decision they don’t want Carrick, then many others will. Because if he can succeed in one of the most demanding jobs in sport, albeit for just a few weeks, then he can certainly do the same at those clubs mentioned above.

And wouldn’t it be fitting for United to sit there and watch Carrick excel elsewhere, wondering how they let it happen? Perhaps it might make sense for United to commit long term to Carrick sinner rather than later. Before someone else tries to do just this.

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