Michael Carrick said that “clarity is important” but that his priority is finishing the season strongly rather than seeking answers about a permanent Manchester United role, the report says. Carrick made the comments ahead of Saturday’s trip to Sunderland.
The report says United turned to the former midfielder, captain and coach after Ruben Amorim’s acrimonious January exit, a move that has helped the Red Devils climb to third in the Premier League. Sunday’s 3-2 win against Liverpool secured Champions League qualification with three games to spare, which has intensified discussion about transfers and the club’s choice of next head coach.
Carrick’s contract is due to expire at the end of the season and, per the report, he appears to be in a strong position to continue beyond that point. He stressed that the timing of the conversation about his future was natural, saying the issue had always been expected to be addressed toward the end of the season. “It’s a matter of days ago and we’ve got eyes on finishing the season strongly as well,” he added, according to the report.
The squad have been more explicit in their support, the report says, with Kobbie Mainoo, fresh from scoring the winner against Liverpool, declaring the team would “die for him,” and Matheus Cunha, Casemiro and Amad Diallo also publicly backing Carrick for the job. Carrick said he has not approached any day with short-term thinking and that decisions made by him and his staff have aimed at longer-term development of the group and individual players.
Looking ahead, Carrick said he remains calm about the situation and that some elements of the decision are beyond his control. “Then, as I’ve said all along, and I’m calm about it, it’ll get sorted out when it’s going to get sorted out. Some of it’s out of my hands, so we’ll see what happens,” he said, per the report, with the focus now on closing out the season positively.
