Carrick met with Sir Jim Ratcliffe on Monday, addressing the timeline for his permanent appointment at Manchester United! He doesn't mind comparisons with Solskjaer.

Manchester United manager Carrick expressed that he is not pressing the club for a decision on his permanent role, and he stressed that comparisons with former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are insignificant. Solskjaer assumed the interim manager position in December 2018, securing eight straight victories; he then became the permanent manager but failed to win any titles and was eventually sacked.

Statistics show that before Solskjaer's permanent appointment, Manchester United won 14 out of 19 matches; however, after being officially named the full-time manager, the team only won two and lost six of their final 10 games, missing out on Champions League qualification. Currently, Carrick has won eight of his first 12 matches in charge, giving the team a chance to return to the Champions League, but the club plans to wait until the season ends to decide on his future.

The 44-year-old Carrick was a teammate of Solskjaer and also served on the coaching staff during the Norwegian's tenure. However, after Rúben Amorim's departure in January, both competed for the interim manager role, with Carrick ultimately succeeding. It is said that their relationship remains good, and Carrick sees no issue with such comparisons.

“I don’t consider it disrespectful. I also respect Ole (Solskjaer) greatly; he is one of my close friends, and I worked closely with him here,” Carrick commented. “I really enjoyed that period; we have many fond memories and were very close to success. Unfortunately, things eventually changed and went in another direction. That’s football. You can compare managers, coaches, and teams from different eras; it depends on what you want to compare. It’s actually irrelevant, truly unimportant. It’s neither good nor bad; there’s simply no connection. Whoever is in charge now, Manchester United is a different team, a different era, so I don’t think comparisons have any practical impact.”

This Monday, Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe visited the Carrington training base and met with Carrick. United could secure Champions League qualification by early May, with their final match of the season on May 24 away at Brighton.

Regarding whether he hopes to be appointed permanently, Carrick stated clearly: “I’ve said many times, I enjoy being here. I enjoy my current role; we’ve achieved some good results, and the current form is positive. I believe Manchester United still has a long way to go; we want to keep improving, there are many areas to enhance, and I’ll continue working hard. Every week I repeat the same things to you; there’s only so much to say on this topic. I’ve said it many times: I enjoy being here, I love Manchester United. I feel very honored to hold this position and carry this responsibility.”

Asked when a clear decision on his permanent appointment might come, Carrick replied: “Honestly, I’m not sure; truly, I haven’t set any deadline in my mind. I believe things will unfold naturally. Right now, I just want to help the team and the club achieve good results. We have a decent ranking, decent performances, and we can keep striving to get better. So, that’s my sole focus at the moment.”

On Manchester United’s current situation, Carrick said he is not surprised. “I’m not surprised; I’ve been here a long time, witnessed many things, highs and lows. So, experience often helps. I wouldn’t say anything is shocking; I enjoy working with the players, helping them grow, achieving good outcomes, and sharing victories with the fans. That’s a major passion for me—winning important matches, playing exhilarating football, and celebrating with the supporters. That’s the ultimate purpose of playing football, and we should cherish these moments.”

Chelsea manager Rosénier, who started almost simultaneously with Carrick and also had an initial successful run, has already been dismissed. During Carrick’s tenure at Manchester United, there have been 20 managerial changes elsewhere. Carrick commented: “There are two sides to everything. On one hand, we must focus on immediate results; the next match is always the most important. On the other hand, we also bear significant responsibility; as coaches and a club, we must look to the future and improve from a long-term perspective. You just maintain a positive attitude and pursue achievable goals. That’s how I am; the world inevitably has negativity, setbacks, and hypotheticals. I prefer to live positively, focusing on what can be achieved each day. So, from now until the season ends, we need to succeed, and then see what happens. I won’t worry about potential failures; we certainly weigh pros and cons and make decisions. But I don’t view the future negatively; I focus more on attainable achievements, which I believe is a better, more positive approach.”

So, is Carrick concerned that poor future results could lead to his dismissal? He said: “Not particularly. I’m busy every day thinking about how to work with the players, how to build the team, how to approach my job positively. Uncertainty about the future doesn’t affect my thinking; that’s the world today. I don’t overthink it; I always consider what Manchester United can achieve. Naturally, I sometimes think about what success means for me, but I focus more on the team, coaches, players, and the club—that’s what matters most. Like a half-filled glass, whether it’s half-full or half-empty depends on your focus. Different people see it differently; I care about what Manchester United can achieve and how to reach those goals.”