Manchester United have appointed former player Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season.
Carrick will be assisted by former England number two Steve Holland, with Jonathan Woodgate, Jonny Evans and Travis Binnion also on his staff.
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Former Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick, 44, served as United’s interim manager for three games following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking in 2021.
He will return to the dugout at Old Trafford for Saturday’s Premier League derby against Manchester City.
United sacked Ruben Amorim on January 5 after 14 months in charge, with Darren Fletcher serving as caretaker manager for two games.
Carrick held face-to-face talks with United officials last Thursday and is understood to have impressed chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox with his vision for the team.
He will use a 4-2-3-1 formation, which is different from the three-at-the-back formation used by Amorim.
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Norwegian Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who played for and coached Manchester United, has also held talks with the club about the vacancy.
But Carrick was chosen because he is more of a hands-on coach than Solskjaer.
Fletcher will return to the under-18s after taking charge of games against Burnley and Brighton immediately following Amorim’s exit.
United view him as a key part of their coaching staff moving forward, but both sides agreed that a return to the Under-18s was the best option to continue his development.
Who works at Carrick?
Steve Holland (right) worked under Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and Rafael Benitez at Chelsea [Getty Images]
Holland helped England to a fourth-place finish at the 2018 World Cup under Southgate and runners-up at Euros 2021 and 2024.
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He spent several years at Chelsea, achieving great success under a number of managers.
The 55-year-old coach was sacked in April after just four months in charge of Japanese club Yokohama Marinos.
Woodgate worked under Michael Carrick at Middlesbrough and was a team-mate of Wilcox at Leeds United. He coached Middlesbrough from 2019 to 2020 and briefly served as Bournemouth head coach in 2021.
Former Manchester United defender Evans returns to Old Trafford, while Binnion has become part of the club’s coaching staff.
‘Carrick and Solskjaer both impressed’ – Analysis
Carrick arguably provides more practical coaching experience than Solskjaer, which is the core reason why Manchester United decided to take the current path.
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Both candidates have impressed in the talks, with both making clear their interest in replacing Amorim in order to help the club they hold so dear to get out of its current difficulties.
The potential for Solskjaer to once again galvanize a team clearly in need of a pick-me-up – as he did when he initially replaced Jose Mourinho on an interim basis in 2018 – is a key factor in United’s hierarchy.
But the feeling that the manager was at the heart of Carrick’s appointment ended up being one of the overarching factors behind the decision.
Carrick has become known as one of the best young managers in England during his relatively short career.
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Interestingly, it has not gone unnoticed by United’s hierarchy that at Middlesbrough he oversaw the transition to a 4-2-3-1 system from a back three system deployed by predecessor Chris Wilder.
He is expected to make the same tactical shift at Old Trafford, with Carrick moving away from Amorim’s 3-4-3 system in favor of a formation more in line with United’s tradition.
While Solskjaer’s initial success in getting players out of trouble in 2018-19 was a factor, it is also acknowledged that much of the coaching during his reign has been done by his assistants Carrick and Kieran McKenna.
‘Manchester United think they have the right coaching mix’ – analysis
In very difficult circumstances, United feel they have the right coaching package in place to see them through to the end of the season.
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Holland is a big name and a surprise. His extensive recent experience in England will provide the cool head and knowledge and expertise to operate in a giant goldfish bowl when everyone has an opinion on the work you do.
Evans has little coaching experience but had been in the Manchester United dressing room for two years until last summer. He knew Carrick well, but more importantly, he knew almost every player in the dressing room.
Binnion has extensive experience at Manchester United. He knew players coming out of the academy — Kobe Minu, first, but also Shai Lacy, Jack Fletcher and others. He is also highly regarded as a coach himself.
Woodgate worked with Carrick at Middlesbrough and the two got along well. He also has the added advantage of speaking Spanish, which is a bonus in a locker room packed with international players. His experience at Real Madrid means that, like Holland, he understands the demands that come with having to work under intense scrutiny.
