Being Manchester United manager has become the impossible job.
Six have succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson, all succumbing to the pressure in the end. This summer a seventh will be chosen and Michael Carrick, it seems, is on course to be that man.
Carrick’s Case for the United Job
By winning seven of his 10 games since January and lifting United up to third in the Premier League, Carrick has made a return to the Champions League more likely than not. It would now come as a surprise if a top-five finish did not seal the deal.
It is hard to nail down the characteristics required to be a success at United. They have gone down nearly every route. Jose Mourinho was the serial winner. Louis van Gaal was the experienced hand. Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim were the project managers.
Carrick falls into the ‘United DNA’ camp. In other words, the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer camp, which brings its own baggage. Solskjaer’s deficiencies were obvious, but he navigated the scrutiny at Old Trafford better than most. This is a trait Carrick appears to share.
Pressure at Old Trafford
“There are parts of [what comes with being Manchester United manager] – and I am not being blasé when I say it – that I have known for so long,” Carrick tells Sky Sports’ Roman Kemp at United’s training camp in Dublin.
“The pressure is something I have lived with for a long time.
“What’s expected here, how to go about achieving things, the amount of support we have, and the scrutiny is something that becomes normal after a while.
“It does not feel as big as it probably looks from the outside for me personally.”
As understated as a coach as he was a player, this is likely the closest Carrick will get to making a public pitch for the job. And it is a compelling one. There are many coaches with a better resume, but how many can claim to know how to manage that level of pressure?
Too Big For Some
There are parallels with United’s player recruitment problems. It does not matter your quality if the scrutiny is too much. There is no shortage of examples there. Harry Maguire, who has been through the mill at Old Trafford, is better placed than most to explain.
“I see a lot of players come into this club and quite frankly it’s just too big for them,” the 33-year-old defender told journalists in Dublin.
“The eyes on you, the scrutiny, the analysis. Every goal that goes in, it’s someone’s fault. There’s going to be ex-players speaking about it. That’s just part and parcel of playing for this club.” This would only intensify for the person in the dugout.
United are not rushing the