Man United Appoint Carrick As Interim Manager

Manchester United confirmed Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season on Tuesday, tasking him with leading the Red Devils back into the Champions League.

“Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honour,” said Carrick, 44, who won 12 major trophies in his 12-year playing career at United.

The former midfielder previously had an unbeaten three-game stint as caretaker boss at Old Trafford in 2021.

Carrick then took on his first permanent managerial role at second-tier Middlesbrough in October 2022 and was sacked in June last year after the club finished 10th in the Championship.

He has a daunting first task, preparing his men to face local rivals Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday.

United are seventh in the table but are in the race to qualify for the lucrative Champions League for the first time in three seasons.

The Red Devils are three points adrift of fourth-placed Liverpool and only one point behind Brentford, in fifth spot.

A top-four finish would guarantee Champions League qualification and top five is likely to be enough thanks to the strong performance of English sides in European competition.

“I know what it takes to succeed here; my focus is now on helping the players to reach the standards that we expect at this incredible club, which we know that this group is more than capable of producing,” added Carrick.

“There is still a lot to fight for this season, we are ready to pull everyone together and give the fans the performances that their loyal support deserves.”

The Red Devils dismissed Ruben Amorim last week after a dismal 14-month stint at Old Trafford for the Portuguese.

But hopes of an immediate bounce were dashed, with caretaker boss Darren Fletcher overseeing a 2-2 draw against lowly Burnley in the Premier League and a 2-1 defeat to Brighton in the FA Cup.