Michael Carrick instills a clear five-word mantra into his Manchester United players: ‘this is only the start.’ This message captures his grounded management style during an unbeaten run as interim boss.
Impressive Early Victories
Carrick kicked off his tenure with a win in the Manchester derby, followed by a thrilling comeback against Premier League leaders Arsenal. He extended his perfect record over the weekend, as United scored late to defeat Fulham 5-3 at Old Trafford. These results keep the team in the top four, one point clear of Chelsea in fifth.
Keeping Feet on the Ground
The positive momentum boosts squad morale, but Carrick repeatedly emphasizes that this honeymoon phase could shift quickly. He prevents overconfidence amid United’s history of inconsistency since Sir Alex Ferguson’s exit over a decade ago.
Leadership Wins Praise
Carrick impresses club executives with his composure, teamwork, and subtle authority. Unlike some predecessors who publicly criticized players, he maintains a low-profile media presence and requires minimal oversight. In weeks, he unites the group for a common goal.
Maguire Highlights Hands-On Style
Captain Harry Maguire praises Carrick’s active involvement. In a recent episode of the Inside Carrington podcast, Maguire noted: “He still does demos in passing drills and he still bangs it through the lines like he’s still got it.”
Maguire added: “He was doing the demos the other day, and I think he did two passes. Everyone did about 300. I think his two were the best I’ve seen out of them all! But no, he’s still got it and he’s really hands-on in training.”
He also commended assistant Steve Holland: “Also, you’ve got Steve [Holland] as well there. When I was working with Steve at England, he was really hands-on in terms of taking most of the training sessions. So you’ve got two coaches there who like to get involved and I think it’s really good.”
Maguire, familiar with Carrick from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s era, concluded: “I knew he would do that just from the experience of knowing Michael and also knowing the way that he coached when he was here under Ole. He spoke really, really well in the dressing room when he spoke back then and he was really just new into coaching then, so I had no surprises when he came in and the way that he spoke in his first meeting and the way the sessions have gone. And I do think that he’s got a great, great staff with him in terms of they’re all on the same page and I’ve been really impressed with him.”
