Cristiano Ronaldo’s past comments praising a former Manchester United team-mate have been backed up by a current star of the squad

Benjamin Sesko is hard at work attempting to follow in Cristiano Ronaldo’s footsteps by lifting Manchester United to greatness. And it seems the two are somewhat kindred spirits after each taking a liking to the same personalities at Old Trafford.

More specifically, Sesko has taken after Ronaldo by developing a close bond with United defender Diogo Dalot. Aside from both being from Portugal, Ronaldo spoke highly of his countryman’s characteristics when discussing players he admired.

It was towards the tail end of Ronaldo’s second stint at Old Trafford that he infamously appeared on Piers Morgan’s TalkTV show. And when pressed on which team-mates or opponents he held respect for, Dalot came out atop the list regarding United comrades.

“In Manchester United I can mention Dalot,” said the five-time Ballon d’Or-winner. “He’s young, but very professional [and] I don’t doubt that he’s going to have longevity in football because he’s young, he’s smart, intelligent and he’s very professional. Probably [Lisandro] Martinez, Casemiro is in his 30s, but I will say Dalot.”

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Fast-forward to the present day, and Dalot has displayed other appealing traits after helping Sesko settle in. The 22-year-old arrived at Old Trafford from RB Leipzig last summer in a deal potentially worth £74million, but Dalot played his role in making the switch a simple one.

When asked about which players at United he has bonded with in particular, the Slovenian told the Inside Carrington podcast: “Diogo Dalot. From the start, he was really helping me.

“Trying to help me in all the ways because it’s a different world here. I’m really grateful that he stood up, and he saw his younger self in me. We are still pushing each other every day, doing all the work.”

United fans may have Dalot to thank for Sesko’s uptick in form of late as the striker has helped raise standards on the field. The frontman has scored five goals in his last six appearances and has been crucial to Michael Carrick’s success as interim manager.

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Sesko scored both of United’s goals in a 2-2 draw away at Burnley last month, albeit not the result he and his team-mates wanted. He’s since come off the bench to score the winner in the 3-2 victory over Fulham, as well as bagging the equaliser in the 1-1 draw at West Ham last week.

Dalot, 26, also continues to play a prominent role in Carrick’s plans despite some fans raising concerns about his contributions in the past. The full-back has scored once and recorded three assists in 26 outings across all competitions this term.

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The Porto academy graduate, who joined United in 2018, was of rare value in Ruben Amorim’s former strategy given he’s able to play in either wing-back position. That role is no longer in use under Carrick, but the club legend has nonetheless found use for a player both Sesko and Ronaldo clearly revere.

Dalot appears to have cemented his place as first-choice right-back under Carrick, while Sesko has largely had to settle for minutes off the bench. It’s a set-up that’s worked for the most part to date, though the latter will hope to share more minutes with his close companion in the months to come.

Manchester United travel to Everton on Monday night looking to avoid the Toffees doing the double over them after November’s awful defeat at Old Trafford.

“We are trying to be our best,” was the message from Manchester United interim head coach Michael Carrick ahead of Monday’s trip to Everton. “We have things to improve on but we have a good base and foundation moving forward, a good spirit and we will draw on pretty much all of that on Monday night.”

Carrick’s return to Old Trafford has been overwhelmingly positive so far. The victories over Manchester City and Arsenal were unexpected, against Fulham his team showed the grit and determination needed to grind out a result and the win over Tottenham was another step in the right direction.

The draw last time out against West Ham was a bump in the road. United were not at their best and were frustrated by a side happy to sit back and hit them on the counter. If not for the heroics of Benjamin Sesko, the unbeaten run would have been over.

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But while the draw at the London Stadium was disappointing compared to the previous four games, it was nowhere near as bad as the loss to Everton back in November. It is understood the defeat to the ten-man Toffees was a contributing factor in the decision to sack Ruben Amorim in January.

David Moyes’ team did not need to do much to win that night. Once down to ten men, they were rigid, compact and pushed the onus onto United. Good teams would have seen that as a gift but United’s response was abject. They were slow in possession, wasteful with their build-up play and were punished for it.

Moyes received credit for the victory but United were the ones who presented it to him. As they head to the Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time, Carrick knows this game will be a huge test of his credentials.

There is confidence the interim head coach can do what his predecessor couldn’t. United have shown, albeit against more attacking opponents, they can stretch defences.

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The way they went from defence to attack against City was sensational. And while United are likely to have more of the ball against Everton, Carrick must show this team can keep that positivity in their play.

A key failing against Everton at Old Trafford was United’s slow use of the ball. They became too predictable and played into Moyes’ hands.

Since returning to United, Carrick has spoken a lot about knowing what it means to play for this club. That has been evidenced in most of the performances.

But this is another test in the interview process for the permanent role at Old Trafford. Carrick has a golden opportunity to show Ineos he can lead this team to good results with positive play against defensive set-ups. Moyes’ pre-match message will be simple: same again.

He will set Everton to play on the counter and catch United. If they keep 11 men on the pitch, they will show more attacking intent.

From Carrick’s perspective, he will hope his team have learnt their lesson from that November defeat. If they have, he will be another step closer to proving he is a viable option for the permanent job.

Kobbie Mainoo struggled for game time at Manchester United under Ruben Amorim, but Diogo Dalot has told the England midfielder the experience will make him stronger

Diogo Dalot has told Kobbie Mainoo that being sidelined at Manchester United will ultimately make him better footballer. Mainoo came within touching distance of leaving United in a loan spell with Napoli during last month’s transfer window.

The England midfielder had grown increasingly frustrated with how former manager Ruben Amorim had handled him. Amorim consistently overlooked Mainoo for months, leaving him stranded on the sidelines and giving him plenty of time to contemplate his future.

However, Amorim’s dismissal in January provided Mainoo with a fresh start at Old Trafford. Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Dalot believes the ordeal will benefit him in the long run.

He said: “That just shows that in football, no matter the manager that you have, you have to work the same way. For Kobbie, he could have gone the other way.

“Because it’s really hard for you, when you’re 20 years old, you played almost 80 games for the Manchester United first team, you played for England’s national team. You’ve been there at the top, and all of a sudden you don’t play.

“How can you explain to a 20-year-old guy that you need to go back to what you did before – train hard, be humble, just wait for your opportunity? I don’t think that’s bad for him to pass through this experience.

“You might say he should have played a little bit more, or not, that might be your opinion, or not. But for him to go through that experience, I think it will benefit him for the future.

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“And I think he feels that now, because he enjoys (football) more now. He will not take for granted playing week in, week out. If you ask me about that situation, I think you will benefit a lot from going through that in his career.”

While Mainoo was deemed surplus to requirements by Amorim, Dalot demanded a constant presence in the head coach’s plans, despite often being on the receiving end of criticism from fans. And the full-back has admitted that such scrutiny has been increasingly tough to overlook.

He added: “I think it became a little bit more difficult because of, obviously, what is happening online nowadays. Everybody can say whatever they want.

“And unless you live in a cave, you’re going to be aware of what is being said or what is happening. But to be honest, because my football career, professional career, was all the time here, so I had to learn how to balance that. I had to deal with it.”

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The former Manchester United boss has been spotted watching a match between Carlos Alcaraz and Karen Khachanov

Former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has surprised fans by making an appearance at the Qatar Open tennis tournament, just over a month on from his sacking.

The Portuguese was sacked from his role as United boss back in January, earning a reported £12 million pay-off. The decision to part ways with Amorim came after an explosive press conference following the draw at Leeds United.

On Thursday evening, Amorim was spotted at the Qatar Open quarter-final match between Carlos Alcaraz and Karen Khachanov. In the closing stages, he was shown on the TV coverage of the match, watching the action from the stands.

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The former United boss was shown as Alcaraz closed out a three-set win. The Spaniard had found himself one set down after a tie-breaker, but came back to win the second set 6-4 and take the third deciding set 6-3.

After Amorim was shown, United fans took to social media to show their surprise at seeing him. “Did not expect to see Ruben Amorim at a tennis match,” one wrote.

A second said: “Why is Amorim there lmao.” A third added: “What is Ruben Amorim doing watching Alcaraz in Qatar!”

A fourth fan asked: “Is Amorim going to take the Qatar national team job?”

“Just spotted Amorim in the stands watching Carlos Alcaraz versus Khachanov. Dude, just minding his business in Doha,” another wrote.

Amorim was replaced by Michael Carrick at United, with the former midfielder coming in on an interim basis until the end of the season.

The side remain unbeaten under the stewardship of the 44-year-old Wins over Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham and Tottenham was followed with a 1-1 draw against West Ham last week.

United currently sit in fourth place in the Premier League table, one point above Chelsea in fifth position, and three points ahead of sixth-placed Liverpool.

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Amorim’s appearance in Qatar is not the first time that he has been spotted since his exit from United. Shortly after the decision, he was pictured walking in Manchester with his wife.

It’s reported that the manager is waiting until the end of the season before speaking out about his time at United. It’s said that he does not want to disrupt the remainder of the season under Carrick.

Gary Neville has slammed Ruben Amorim’s treatment of Kobbie Mainoo as his ‘worst decision’ at Manchester United before the Portuguese coach’s sacking in January

Gary Neville has described Ruben Amorim’s failure to utilise Kobbie Mainoo more this season as the former Manchester United head coach’s ‘worst decision’.

The 20-year-old did not feature in a single Premier League starting line-up this season before Amorim’s departure on 5 January. Since then, Mainoo has been a regular fixture under interim boss Michael Carrick and was instrumental in United’s impressive run of four consecutive victories.

The midfielder is also mounting a late challenge to secure a place in the England squad ahead of this summer’s World Cup. During Amorim’s tenure, the academy product believed he would need to move elsewhere to secure the playing time necessary to catch the attention of England head coach Thomas Tuchel.

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His recent displays are precisely why Neville thinks Amorim’s refusal to give Mainoo opportunities in the side contributed to the Portuguese coach’s undoing. The pundit said on Stick to Football: “Kobbie Mainoo didn’t even get a chance under Ruben, really. If you think about it now and look at Mainoo in this team, that looks like the worst decision Ruben Amorim made.”

Neville accused the former United boss of ‘killing’ Mainoo. He continued: “I must admit, I never liked the handling of Mainoo. I think we talked about that a lot on this show. I never liked the handling of that.

“When he [Amorim] said at the start of the season that it was him or Bruno [Fernandes], I never agreed with that. It killed Kobbie Mainoo. It killed him publicly, and then he never put him in the team at all, apart from against Grimsby in the [League] Cup.

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Mainoo will be aiming to continue disproving Amorim when United face Everton next Monday. Another strong performance could enhance his chances of being selected for Tuchel’s squad for England’s two friendly matches in March.

Tuchel recently confirmed that the 20-year-old was ‘back in the picture’ alongside United colleagues Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw. Speaking at the Nations League draw on Thursday, the Three Lions manager said: “It is great that [Mainoo] is back on the pitch.

“He is such a huge talent. He has already played a tournament [Euro 2024] from start to finish for England (Mainoo started every match of the knockout stages), so he is back in the picture, so is Luke Shaw, and so is Harry [Maguire].

“There are some players suddenly back in the picture; they [United] play a back four now and play with a different style, which is a bit easier to translate to our structure at the moment. It’s good competition.”

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Manchester United are leaning towards making an external managerial appointment despite Michael Carrick’s impressive return to Old Trafford.

United have taken 13 points out of a possible 15 since Carrick was appointed caretaker manager last month, winning four games in a row before Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with West Ham.

Manchester United were sixth in the Premier League when they decided to pull the plug on former boss Ruben Amorim, who had a disappointing 14-month reign.

While that represented a marked improvement on a team that finished 15th last season, United were still struggling for consistency, exiting both domestic cup competitions at the earliest possible stage.

It was not only underwhelming performances that cost Amorim his job but also his public criticism of those above him at Old Trafford in the days leading to his sacking.

Champions League qualification appeared unlikely at the time of Amorim’s departure but Carrick has taken the Red Devils back into the top-four.

Carrick’s tenure as caretaker manager started with impressive wins over title rivals Manchester City and Arsenal, before United beat Fulham and Tottenham.

Manchester United were not at their best against West Ham but Benjamin Sesko’s injury-time equaliser maintained Carrick’s unbeaten record.

Carrick’s return to Old Trafford was initially only expected to be temporary, with United always planning to make a permanent appointment at the end of the season.

But United’s brilliant form under the ex-midfielder has led to calls for Carrick to be named as Amorim’s full-time replacement.

England legend Wayne Rooney, for example, has suggested Carrick will become ‘impossible’ to ignore if United’s current form continues until the end of the season.

But according to Sky Sports, Manchester United are not accelerating their plans to appoint a new manager and still do not view Carrick as the favourite for the job.

The likes of Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti, Mauricio Pochettino, Oliver Glasner, Luis Enrique and Roberto De Zerbi have all been linked with United since Amorim’s sacking.

The Manchester Evening News claim England boss Tuchel is emerging as the ‘preferred choice’ of Old Trafford decision-makers.

Tuchel took charge of the Three Lions last year but is only contracted to England until after this summer’s World Cup, meaning he will likely be available come July.

Before becoming England manager, Tuchel had spells at Bayern Munich, PSG, Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea, where he won the Champions League and Club World Cup.

While much could change before the end of the season, overlooking Carrick would be fairly surprising as he already appears to have the backing of the United squad.

Captain Bruno Fernandes has repeatedly praised the former England midfielder since he took over and goalkeeper Senne Lammens followed suit after the West Ham draw.

‘We can be happy with the first five games with him as a coach,’ Amorim’s £18m summer signing said.

Gary Neville reveals Man Utd’s ‘official position’ on manager search

‘I actually spoke to the club, because ultimately the club get asked all the time from journalists and broadcasters, what’s the position of the club.

‘It’s a very difficult situation, you’ve got a massive movement now with what’s happened towards giving Carrick the job, saying that really he should be considered.

‘That’s only going to build the more that he wins and the more that he gets closer to Champions League football. I asked the club what is the official position of the football club in terms of what you’re saying publicly to everybody else.

‘I have to say I thought their answer was pretty good. They said they’ve actually begun the process now, starting to look for another manager, which I thought right.

‘It’s a very difficult situation, you’ve got a massive movement now with what’s happened towards giving Carrick the job, saying that really he should be considered.

‘That’s only going to build the more that he wins and the more that he gets closer to Champions League football. That’s good to hear because you need to plan for everything.

‘They’ve started the process of speaking to and looking at other managers, building all the sorts of data and analysing who should be the next manager of the football club.

‘But what they’ve said is they’re not going to be bounced into – irrespective of wins or draws or losses on the pitch in this next couple of months – making an appointment.

‘They’re going to wait until towards the end of the season.’

Gary Neville speaking on his Sky Sports podcast

‘The West Ham result was a little bit disappointing because we wanted to continue winning and now, being two weeks without a game, we wanted to go in that period with a good feeling.

‘But it’s a little bit less bad because we scored at the end. One of his [Carrick’s] strong suits is communication, being clear about what he wants. We knew what we had to do and executed the plan.

‘Man City and Arsenal were different kinds of games because we didn’t really have to make it ourselves.

‘It was more about being compact, playing from the counter and creating chances, which is one of our strong suits. We know we can do well against those teams.

‘Against Fulham and Tottenham we had to play more of our game. It was not always the prettiest, but the result was there, which is the most important thing, and something we haven’t really done all season.’

Due to being knocked out of the FA Cup by Brighton, Manchester United have almost two weeks off before they return to Premier League action on February 23 against Everton.

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Manchester United faced a familiar scenario on Saturday but this time with a different manager in the hotseat at Old Trafford.

17:00, 09 Feb 2026

Ruben Amorim’s time as Manchester United manager didn’t produce many highlights but undoubtedly one of the darkest days of his tenure came when Everton visited Old Trafford last November. The Reds fell to a 1-0 defeat against Everton despite playing against ten men for all but 13 minutes of the match.

The negative 3-4-2-1 system was under scrutiny and proved it could not unlock a side that would definitely have taken a point as soon as they were reduced to 10 men.

Unbelievably the Toffees secured all three points and less than two months on Amorim was sacked. Last weekend, United once again found themselves up against 10 men with the game goalless. Where Amorim failed, Michael Carrick succeeded.

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MEN Sport has taken a look back at the Everton defeat and highlighted five ways Carrick’s tactics trumped Amorim’s when tasked with breaking down a side who had seen a man sent off.

Fernandes change

Amorim always justified the decision to play Bruno Fernandes deeper in midfield because he wanted United to have more control in the centre of the pitch.

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However, that tweak saw Kobbie Mainoo drop out and it is clear to see that Mainoo needs to be in the team. Everton’s winner came from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall running off Fernandes before Leny Yoro failed to stop the shot.

Against Spurs, and since the arrival of Carrick, Fernandes has moved into attacking midfield and he has been excellent, as has Mainoo since being brought back in from the cold.

Predictability

Rewatching the Everton game was painful for plenty of reasons, particularly because of how predictable United were. It was difficult for Amorim’s side when playing a team with a goal advantage and the ability to sit on the edge of their area, but the Reds made it way too easy for them.

United would play the ball out to Amad in the hope he could produce a moment of magic, but with Everton doubling up on him he would have to work it back and eventually the attack broke down. It was dull and uninspiring.

In contrast, United switched up their attack against Tottenham, with the first goal a perfect example. Matheus Cunha did well to drift inside and create overloads in the centre, a move that ultimately won the corner from which the first goal came.

A neat training ground routine allowed the ball to be laid off for Bryan Mbeumo to slot home. It seems simple but it is by far a better brand of football to watch.

Tempo

This goes hand-in-hand with the predictable nature of Amorim’s system but the tempo in the defeat to Everton was shockingly low. When Idrissa Gueye was sent off, Old Trafford was rocking and hopeful of seeing their side take advantage.

Instead, United killed that urgency with slow play which made it easy for Everton to defend. The Reds were too casual in possession and this created problems with passes being intercepted and clearances being made.

Now, there is a sharpness to United’s play that is not just evident against ten men. Carrick’s side pass the ball around with a crispness and some of the one-touch football left Spurs scratching their heads at the weekend.

The out-ball

Bafflingly, United were so defensive against Everton you would have thought they were the ones with ten men. A particular example of this was their approach to defending long throws.

The Reds put all 11 men behind the ball, including Joshua Zirkzee. When they eventually cleared the danger, there was nobody upfield to offer a way out and Everton were able to just recycle possession.

Against Tottenham, that was not the case and this allowed United to retain more control. Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez have forged a solid partnership in recent weeks and that gives United the confidence to leave a man upfield without the fear of conceding.

Crossing

When United eventually managed to work an opening against Everton they looked to get crosses into the box. Not a bad strategy except for a couple of key issues.

Firstly, there was no variation on the crosses, with all being looping balls that Michael Keane and James Tarkowski took pleasure in just heading away. On the few occasions they were beaten, Zirkzee forced a couple of good saves from Jordan Pickford.

However, there were also too many occasions when Zirkzee and other forwards were not bursting into the box to try and get on the end of crosses. The combination of the two was a recipe for disaster.

Now, United are showing a variation in their crosses and the second against Spurs came thanks to a brilliant delivery from Diogo Dalot which Benjamin Sesko was trying to reach.

He missed it but following up was Fernandes. The finish was sublime.

Manchester United have already eclipsed last season’s Premier League points tally with 13 matches still left to play, evidencing the failures of Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim in a torrid campaign

Michael Carrick may just be four matches into an interim head coaching stint with Manchester United, but he has already shown up the failures that Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim managed in their disastrous time in charge during the 2024/25 season.

There was a wealth of scepticism in the air when the 44-year-old arrived at Old Trafford last month. United fans were well within their right, of course, given that he was only sacked by Middlesbrough in the summer for guiding the club to a lacklustre 10th place finish in the Championship standings in 2024/25.

Meanwhile, Carrick’s caretaker role with the club following the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November 2021 lasted less than a month before he was replaced by Ralf Rangnick.

During his initial stint at the helm, Carrick achieved two wins and a draw from a total of three matches before he announced his shock decision to depart after a win against Arsenal and be replaced by the German – with Ten Hag taking up tenure at the end of 2021/22. What ensued next was two years of rot and questionable choices with an FA Cup trophy lift thrown in before the Dutchman was ultimately given the boot in October 2024, with Amorim left to pick up the pieces.

The Portuguese tactician failed to restore any glory to the Theatre of Dreams in his first season in charge, finishing a lowly 15th in the Premier League standings and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur – albeit, mainly utilising a squad he inherited from his predecessor.

Giving Amorim the benefit of the doubt, the board backed him in the summer transfer window and afforded him a full pre-season schedule to play with to fine-tune his team. And while Amorim was handed a sizeable budget to bring in the likes of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Senne Lammens, the 41-year-old never really managed to get the best out of his new arrivals.

That’s largely down to Amorim being insistent on favouring a failing 3-4-2-1 formation, utilising Amad as a wing-back when he clearly thrives in an attacking role, and dropping Bruno Fernandes deeper into the heart of the engine room alongside Casemiro, despite the skipper proving time and time again he is the club’s most valuable asset in the pocket.

A decision to drop Kobbie Mainoo, meanwhile, rubbed a number of fans the wrong way, especially given how fruitful the England international had been in the engine room prior to his arrival.

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And that’s not to mention his public fallout with Marcus Rashford, pushing away perhaps one of the club’s most talented all-time academy products, who left on a short-term deal to Aston Villa and has since gone on to thrive in a season-long loan with Barcelona when he could have been doing the business at Old Trafford instead.

On the flipside, Carrick has not only managed to forge promising relationships with his squad in such a short space of time, but has also been able to do something that not Amorim nor Ten Hag, nor Solskjaer nor Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal or David Moyes could; get United back to running like the finely-tuned machine it was under Sir Alex Ferguson.

You can see that there’s an air of fresh start fever around Old Trafford at present, revamping it into a genuine Theatre of Dreams as of late compared to the one of nightmares it has been for the past 13 or so years since Fergie’s retirement.

That opinion is backed further by the fact that United have now eclipsed their Premier League points season tally from last season, currently sitting fourth in the standings and on the brink of European qualification with 44 points to the 42 that Amorim and Ten Hag managed in 2024/25.

To add further food for thought, there are still 13 matches remaining in the current campaign, meaning United could potentially bag a further 39 points by season’s end, should Carrick’s undefeated form continue to burn bright. Such events coming to fruition would put the Reds on a staggering total of 83 points – just one less than Liverpool achieved to win the title last time out.

Let’s not get carried away, with the form that Arsenal are in at present, it would take some form of divine intervention to see Mikel Arteta bottle the club’s first league title in more than two decades. But if United could achieve even seven or eight wins from their remaining fixtures it should be enough to seal qualification to the Champions League.

Given the collapse of relationships have been a key factor in underwhelming seasons for United as of late – from Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho’s falling out with Amorim to Cristiano Ronaldo’s alarming spat with Ten Hag – it’s vital that Carrick is able to keep his players content going forward, win, lose or draw.

If he’s able to do so, the future certainly looks bright for the Wallsend-born coach, who could even be awarded permanent tenure this summer for his achievements. While there have been calls from pundits and fans alike for United to consider a more-seasoned head coach when Carrick’s interim role concludes, it’s hard to see past the Englishman given his form at present.

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Ruben Amorim and Kobbie Mainoo have both been in the news regarding Manchester United as Michael Carrick looks ahead to his next game as boss

Manchester United will turn their attention to Tottenham at Old Trafford on Saturday as Michael Carrick bids to maintain his 100% record. United ended the winter transfer window quietly, allowing several squad players to depart on loan whilst maintaining their core group.

Carrick has provided a welcome change since returning to the club, winning all three matches so far. Tough encounters against rivals Manchester City and Arsenal both delivered three points, and a stoppage-time winner against Fulham ensured the interim manager kept his unblemished start.

Up next is Tottenham at home as Thomas Frank’s team seek to capitalise on their own impressive result against City last weekend. Victory over Spurs would see United further strengthen their top-four ambitions and narrow the deficit on Aston Villa, who face Bournemouth later in the day.

With the weekend fixtures fast approaching, Manchester Evening News has shared the latest developments emerging from the Theatre of Dreams.

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Ruben Amorim decision

Ruben Amorim has indirectly shown serious respect for Carrick by delaying any explanation of his United tenure until the season ends. After a 1-1 draw with Leeds United in January, the Portuguese boss was sacked following 14 months at the helm.

Carrick was appointed as interim manager, with many demanding to hear Amorim’s version of events straight after his exit. Now, a source has revealed to the Daily Mail that the 41-year-old intends to hold off until the summer before speaking publicly.

The report also indicates that this choice was made to avoid disrupting the remainder of Carrick’s spell with the club. The temporary manager will likely welcome this approach as he seeks to maintain United’s excellent run of results.

Kobbie Mainoo called out

Fulham’s Alex Iwobi has singled out Kobbie Mainoo after sustaining a hand injury during an intense encounter on Sunday. The midfielder has experienced a revival in form under Carrick, featuring in all three Premier League matches and covering more distance than any other player.

This stands in sharp contrast to his time under Amorim, as he was kept on the substitutes’ bench for most of his reign. And it appears that Iwobi is still experiencing the consequences of his battle with the England international from their meeting last weekend.

In his recent YouTube video, the midfielder said: “Shout out Kobbie Mainoo but Kobbie man.. you absolutely finished my hand. This guy has Ghanaian strength!”

Iwobi displayed his right hand during his praise of Mainoo, which had his ring and little finger taped together. It remains unclear how this injury occurred, but the Fulham star’s remarks suggest the pair engaged in a physical contest in which Iwobi evidently came off worse.

Just last month, a loan move away from United appeared the most probable next step for Mainoo after Amorim had given him just over 200 minutes of Premier League football this season. But that has all changed with the return of Carrick, who has demonstrated clear confidence in the England star from the outset – with a contract extension now seemingly on offer as well.