It is undeniable that fans are tired of Manchester United’s frequent management changes and this cycle needs to end at some stage.
Michael Carrick has won it all as a player at Old Trafford and deserves time to prove he’s up to the task of permanent manager, having earned his trust after an excellent finish to last season.
However, the Englishman was unable to escape criticism and scrutiny after the club’s worst start in the Premier League, with pre-season optimism quickly fading.
There are caveats, of course, not least the mixed nature of this expensive squad, but in terms of results and performance levels, the onus lies with Carrick.
Why Carrick is right to take the pressure at Manchester United
On the one hand, Carrick’s playing career requires confidence and patience, and so does his job as interim manager. The 45-year-old Carrick stabilized the team in the first half of 2026 and also achieved some results.
Carrick – Temporary vs. Permanent | ||
|---|---|---|
temporary** | Statistics (*per game) | eternal |
16 | game | 8 |
11 | victory | 3 |
3 | lottery | 2 |
2 | loss | 3 |
twenty one | Players used | 25 |
1.88 | Target* | 2.13 |
1.13 | Goals conceded* | 1.38 |
2.25 | integral | 1.38 |
**Second temporary/caretaker spell only | ||
There is also the glaring issue that the former Middlesbrough boss has been disappointed in the transfer market, with Luke Shaw left as the only senior option at left-back and a serious shortage of quality and depth in the centre-forward ranks.
That being said, this team and this side should be able to pick up more points after a pretty good run of games, with a heavy defeat away at Hull City setting the tone for the remainder of the campaign.
The Red Devils have won just two games in all competitions so far, although the biggest concern has been their performances, especially over the past week.
In the game against Manchester City, the home team was extremely lacking in creativity with ten men. Carrick made only two changes as the team tied the score, the first of which was made in the 67th minute.
The ensuing defeat at home to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup was even more harrowing, with the players in red withering before our eyes in such worrying fashion.
Gary Neville’s comments about the weekend’s game against Fulham were completely exaggerated and unnecessary, but there was a distinctly lethargic feeling about the visitors at Craven Cottage.
Carrick’s side just let the game drift and if they’re not careful, it could be another season gone by.
How Manchester United could upgrade Michael Carrick
The clash with struggling Tottenham Hotspur after the international break is a crucial game for both clubs and there are rumors that changes in the dugout may be imminent.
As far as Spurs are concerned, former Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna was recently pictured in the crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, sparking curiosity about what this means for Roberto De Zerbi.
The Irishman was part of the academy in north London and broke into the first team under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before moving to Manchester to continue his coaching career.
According to an exclusive report from Football FanCast, McKenna is now open to a return to management.
The 40-year-old, who has been out of work since voluntarily leaving Ipswich Town earlier this year, is said to be ready to talk to both parties amid ongoing uncertainty among management.
Now, this may not be the Carrick replacement that supporters have been asking for, especially with McKenna experiencing relegation in his only Premier League game at Portman Road.
However, this is a man Manchester United legend Nicky Butt described Regarded as “one of the best coaches I’ve ever seen on grass”, the pair previously played alongside each other at Carrington.
McKenna’s record of reviving Ipswich shouldn’t go unnoticed either, with the Tractor Boys having struggled in the league when he took charge in December 2021.
In the following four full seasons, he guided Suffolk to promotion three times, relegation once and brought Suffolk back to the Premier League twice.
His record in the EFL, or more specifically the Championship, certainly compares favorably to Carrick, who was ultimately sacked at Riverside last year.
In 122 games in the Championship, excluding the playoffs, Carrick won 56 games and averaged a points-per-game average of 1.57.
By comparison, his former Manchester United colleague has won just 92 games in this competition, winning 51 and averaging a points-per-game ratio of 1.96.
It must be said that this is a significant difference and McKenna may be the right person to work with this group of players, as he himself prefers a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Of course, there may well be a feeling that United need to set their sights higher with their next managerial hire, but even so, if looking for a way to potentially upgrade Carrick, McKenna could well be the solution.