Manchester United have held an interview with both men and a decision is expected early next week
Michael Carrick is open to working as assistant coach again under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer if the Norwegian is appointed Manchester United’s interim coach.
Both men are the chief contenders as United seek a temporary appointment until the summer, when they intend to hire a permanent head coach. Solskjaer, who performed so well as interim between December 2018 and March 2019 that he was given a permanent contract, is thought to be the leading contender, even if he was sacked in 2021 due to poor results.
Carrick was Solskjaer’s assistant when the Norwegian was sacked and then took over as interim, winning two games and drawing once. He also managed Middlesbrough in the Championship. It is unlikely Solskjaer would work under Carrick if the Englishman were to get the job.
United held an interview with Carrick on Thursday and with Solskjaer on Saturday. A decision is expected early next week after the club’s FA Cup game against Brighton, as United prepare for their Premier League derby against Manchester City on 17 January.
Current caretaker coach Darren Fletcher will be in the dugout against Brighton. United handing Fletcher the role until the end of the season has not been completely ruled out, but he is thought to rank lower than Solskjaer and Carrick due to his inexperience.
When asked about his future, Fletcher said: “I’ve been focusing on the job at hand, preparing the team for these two games [Burnley and Brighton]. There’s been no thoughts or conversations about my future.
“Honestly, the people in charge, Jason [Wilcox, sporting director] and Omar [Berrada, chief executive], have given me full responsibility to take control of these two games, make my own decisions, lead the team, guide the team, prepare the team, and that’s what I’ve been doing.”
