Manchester United named former midfielder Michael Carrick as their manager until the end of the ongoing 2025-26 season this Tuesday, Jan. 13, despite being linked with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. An insider has revealed why the Red Devils hired Carrick.
David Ornstein Sheds Light on Recent Manchester United Appointment
During a recent interaction on “The Athletic FC” Podcast, famed journalist David Ornstein said that Manchester United’s decision to replace Ruben Amorim with Carrick was a surprise.
“There wasn’t as much noise around him as there was (for) Solskjaer. Of course, Solskjaer had a lot of support publicly, given he had done it before. And we need to understand more in the coming days, what happened? Why didn’t they go for him? Was there any particular reason? Or was it just purely that they ended up favoring Carrick?,” Ornstein said.
Ornstein also suggested that the Old Trafford club appointed Carrick as their new manager over Solskjaer as they were unwilling to bring in two head coaches to share the role.
“There was a lot of suggestion that they may be working together, which they did last time round, but I don’t think Manchester United ever truly had that intention because Carrick in the interim period has grown to be a number one in his own right. So, bringing in two number ones together clearly wasn’t to their liking,” The Athletic journalist added.
Solskjaer, who played for Manchester United 366 times, was reportedly interested in joining the Red Devils last week. He previously managed his former team from December 2018 to November 2021, after which Carrick acted as the caretaker manager for three games.
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After being named Amorim’s short-term successor, Carrick stated that he is excited to lead Manchester United and will focus on re-establishing the club as a significant force.
“I know what it takes to succeed here. My focus is now on helping the players to reach the standards that we expect at this incredible club, which we know that this group is more than capable of producing. There is still a lot to fight for this season, we are ready to pull everyone together and give the fans the performances that their loyal support deserves,” Carrick told club media.
Carrick, 44, was available as a free agent before recently joining the Old Trafford side. The former Red Devils star, who represented the club 464 times as a player, was previously the head coach of EFL Championship outfit Middlesbrough from October 2022 to June 2025.
