Jose Mourinho has expressed surprise at Manchester United's decision to appoint Michael Carrick as interim manager. The current Benfica boss, who worked with Carrick at Old Trafford, suggested that more experienced coaches should be given top jobs.
Carrick, 44, was handed the reins on a temporary basis after United sacked Ruben Amorim earlier this month. His only previous managerial role was at Middlesbrough, where he spent nearly three years and reached the Championship play-offs in his first season. He also served as an assistant under Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at United.
Speaking after Benfica's 2-0 defeat to Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday, Mourinho said: 'For me, it is a surprise when coaches with no history and no work done have the opportunity to coach the most important teams in the world; this is the real surprise. When Milan takes Allegri, when Juventus takes Spalletti or when Roma chooses Gasperini, these are never surprises.'
Carrick has until May to convince the United hierarchy he deserves the job permanently. He made a strong start on Saturday, with United beating Manchester City 2-0. Carrick also previously led the team to a win over Arsenal during a three-game stint as caretaker in 2021.
Despite the impressive victory, Carrick remained cautious: 'It was a very special day but I'm not getting carried away. It's one game and it's really important we don't get carried away. It needs to be a regular feeling, that level of performance needs to be consistently what we're getting.'
