MANCHESTER, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Manchester United have turned to one of their own, appointing their former midfielder Michael Carrick to steady the ship as interim manager until the season's end, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.
Carrick replaces Ruben Amorim, who was sacked earlier this month, and faces an immediate baptism of fire with his first match being the derby against second-placed Manchester City at Old Trafford on Saturday.
"Michael is an excellent coach and knows exactly what it takes to win at Manchester United," club director of football Jason Wilcox said in a statement.
"He is ready to lead our talented and determined group of players for the remainder of the season as we continue to build the club towards regular and sustained success."
The 44-year-old former Middlesbrough manager inherits a team in crisis, sitting seventh in the Premier League table - a whopping 17 points behind leaders Arsenal - and eliminated from both domestic cups.
"Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honour," Carrick said.
"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."
The FA Cup exit in a 2-1 home defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday has left United facing their shortest season since 1914-15, with just 40 games to play.
It is a return to familiar territory for Carrick, who previously served as caretaker manager in 2021 following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's dismissal.
A team source said three candidates were interviewed, with British media reporting that Solskjaer was in contention for the role.
United were not keen to change head coaches mid-season, according to the team source, but results and behaviours meant they needed to act immediately in order to achieve their objectives. The objective was to bring in someone who knew and understood the club to reduce the risk of a period of adaptation.
Following Amorim's turbulent tenure, United had placed Carrick's former teammate and under-18 coach Darren Fletcher in temporary charge but he failed to register a win in his two games, having also drawn 2-2 with lowly Burnley in the league.
"The club would like to place on record its gratitude to Darren Fletcher for his leadership during the last week," the club said in its statement.
"Fletcher will remain as Lead Coach of the Under-18s, playing a vital role in developing players ready to perform in a winning Manchester United first team."
MANCHESTER UNITED PEDIGREE
Carrick brings significant United pedigree having made 464 appearances across all competitions during his playing career, lifting five Premier League titles and one Champions League trophy with the club.
His managerial experience includes a mixed stint at second-tier club Middlesbrough, where he initially worked wonders after joining in October 2022 with the Championship side languishing in 21st place.
Carrick quickly turned things around, guiding them to a fourth-placed finish and the playoffs in his first season while they reached the League Cup semi-finals the following campaign.
However, Middlesbrough failed to gain promotion as they finished eighth and 10th in his last two seasons, leading to Carrick's dismissal in June last year.
Carrick faces a testing first two games in charge, with a trip to the Emirates to play Arsenal following the Manchester derby.
With domestic cups already off the table, securing a top-four finish will be a key target, but Carrick will also be tasked with reviving belief and tactical cohesion in a demoralised squad in a state of disarray.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing in Manchester, Trevor Stynes in Krakow, Rohith Nair and Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge and Toby Davis)
