The topic of the next permanent Manchester United manager is a hot one, and countless names are being thrown into the ring by supporters and in the media to take the reins from the start of the 2026/27 season. However, only one man is in the unique position to audition for the role - Michael Carrick. That gives him the advantage.
It isn't so much his job to lose but his to go and take. He has a chance to make himself the lead candidate and make his employers think twice before going in a different direction.
But what exactly does the former midfield maestro need to do to land the hardest job in football?
Carrick has made a flying start despite minor blip
Since Carrick's return to Old Trafford in the Manchester derby in mid-January, he has done more than bring the feel-good factor back to Old Trafford.
He has proven that, from his time as Middlesbrough manager, he has developed into a tactically astute manager, whilst still commanding a certain calm aura that makes you feel like he has things under control.
Of course, it is a results business. However, wins against their Manchester rivals and league leaders Arsenal en route to four wins and a draw in his first five games (winning February Manager of the Month in the process) mean he is passing that test too.
Aside from results, he has got supporters on side by bringing popular academy star Kobbie Mainoo back into the team, whilst playing a system far better suited to this Man Utd side.
The cherry on top for Carrick and his coaching staff has been getting a tune out of his attacking players (helped by Bruno Fernandes playing in his favoured position) whilst also making United organised out of possession and difficult to break down.
It is early days, but nobody can deny he has made a flying start as interim manager.
The one blip on an otherwise perfect record was in his last game when United were lucky to walk away with a 1-1 draw at relegation-threatened West Ham.
The result was a bad one for United in their pursuit of Champions League football, but it could prove to be a useful case study for Carrick. The lacklustre performance was a reminder that this side can't be fully trusted to turn up week in week out and that the job at hand is a huge one.
Manchester United's squad is a good one and there is more than enough quality in it to secure a top-five finish in a season when almost every top club is in some way off their best level. But it is not an elite squad, and there are still question marks surrounding certain players' mental strength and ability to produce consistent performances.
With Casemiro (at least) needing to be replaced in the summer, whoever lands the permanent position will need to sell a clear vision for the future regarding the type of players needed to fill a Casemiro-sized void and strengthen a squad with a weak underbelly.
The real challenge starts now
Between now and the end of the season, Carrick has to make sure that the West Ham game was just a blip and that those types of performances don't become the norm. Because it has been such underwhelming and tepid performances that United have become synonymous with for far too long; a collective that can step up and deliver excellent displays against the best teams in the country at times, but also fail to beat a relegation-battling side at home.
Carrick has to try (a task easier said than done) and root out the weeds of inconsistencies that have plagued Old Trafford for years. That doesn't mean winning every game and coaching 10/10 performances week in week out; it means making the West Ham performance an anomaly. It means continuing to win more often than dropping points, producing a minimum 7/10 performance every game from now to the end of the season.
That might sound like a high bar, but in a league of such fine margins, even a 7/10 doesn't guarantee any points, and when you drop any lower, you stand a slim chance of beating even the worst teams in the division. The bar was set after Carrick's victories against Man City and Arsenal, and there is no reason why that level of performance shouldn't be the expectation. It is unrealistic to expect that level every week between now and mid-May, but considering United only play once a week, that can become the new normal.
To land a job that remains incredibly coveted despite being the hubris downfall of great coaches, Carrick needs to try to create that new normal. Only then can INEOS be convinced of a long-term vision and way forward that doesn't eventually become more of what came before.
By bringing Mainoo back into the fold and playing attacking football that plays to the strengths of the squad at his disposal, whilst also appeasing fans desperate to be on the edge of their seat, Carrick is very much on the right path. But his road to landing the permanent job has only just begun, and the real test starts at Everton on Monday night.
The honeymoon phase is over - now it is time to find out if this marriage is really a good fit or not.
