Sir Jim Ratcliffe has praised Michael Carrick for his “excellent job” as interim head coach of Manchester United, but stopped short of confirming the former midfielder as a candidate for the permanent role. Since taking over from Ruben Amorim in January, Carrick has led the Red Devils to third in the Premier League table, winning six of eight matches, with one draw and one defeat.
United’s only loss under Carrick came in their last league outing, a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United, courtesy of a last-minute winner from William Osula. Despite that setback, Carrick has guided the team from seventh place to within striking distance of Champions League qualification, making him the bookmakers’ favourite for the permanent job.
When asked by Sky Sports if Carrick could become the long-term head coach, Ratcliffe replied: “He's doing an excellent job, absolutely,” but added, “I'm not going there,” when pressed further. Ratcliffe acknowledged that Champions League qualification is now a realistic target, saying: “Yes, clearly we're thinking about it. But there's still seven or eight games to go. Still a while yet.”
United host Aston Villa on Sunday in a crucial top-four clash, with both sides level on points in third and fourth respectively. Jamie Carragher, writing in his Daily Telegraph column, has backed Villa boss Unai Emery as the “perfect coach” for United, describing him as one of the best and most underrated coaches in Europe, despite his lack of prominence in the speculation.
