I thought it was worth starting a running note on my thoughts about Manchester United's managers, particularly as we seem to go through them at a ridiculous rate these days. I'll add to it as things develop, hopefully without having to write about another new appointment too soon!
Michael Carrick (January 2026 - Present)
As I write this, Michael Carrick is under enormous pressure. United are sitting 16th in the Premier League, with just two wins from 12 games in all competitions. Today's 3-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth has only made things worse. For a club like Manchester United, it's simply not good enough.
It's a difficult one for me. Carrick is a hero at Old Trafford, someone I admired as a player and would genuinely love to see succeed as manager. But there's a big difference between being a great player for the club and being the right man to manage it.
Personally, I'd love him to stay and turn things around, although I'm not convinced the directors share that feeling. From the outside, it looks as though he's lost the dressing room. The players don't seem to be responding to him, and some of the performances suggest they're not particularly interested in fighting for the shirt either.
Of course, we've been here before with other managers, haven't we? At some point, you have to wonder how much of the problem is actually the manager and how much runs deeper into the club.
I'd love Carrick to prove everyone wrong. I'm just not sure he's going to get the chance.
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