Manchester United make Michael Carrick permanent

Manchester United were poised to make Michael Carrick their permanent head coach on Sunday after a four-month interim spell that lifted the club back into the Champions League places, according to multiple British media reports. Sky Sports said on May 16 that Carrick had agreed a two-year deal with an option for a further year, while the Telegraph reported United hoped to announce the appointment before their home game against Nottingham Forest. Manchester United’s own website still listed Carrick on Sunday as head coach until the end of the 2025-26 season, with no separate confirmation of a new contract. Carrick, 44, was appointed on January 13 after Ruben Amorim’s departure, the club’s staff page said. ### When did Carrick take over, and on what terms? January 13 was the date Manchester United said Carrick would lead the men’s first team until the end of the 2025-26 season. The club’s official staff page says the appointment marked a new chapter in an association that began when Carrick joined as a player in 2004. Carrick spent two and a half years as Middlesbrough head coach before returning to Old Trafford, according to the same club page. Manchester United said he had previously served on the first-team coaching staff after retiring as a player in 2018 and had also taken charge for three matches as caretaker manager after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s exit. ### What changed during his interim run? (manutd.com) Manchester United had 65 points from 36 league matches going into Sunday’s game against Nottingham Forest, good for third place in the Premier League table, according to the league’s official standings page. The club had already secured Champions League qualification for next season with two league matches remaining. (manutd.com) Sky Sports reported Carrick had won over decision-makers Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada after 15 matches in charge, a run it said included victories over Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea. Sports Mole, citing earlier reporting, said United had proposed a two-year contract running to the summer of 2028 with an option to extend to 2029. (premierleague.com) The Premier League on May 14 named Carrick among six nominees for its Manager of the Season award. The league said public voting would remain open until 12:00 BST on Monday, May 18. ### Who backed the permanent move? Sky Sports said Wilcox, United’s director of football, and chief executive Omar Berrada believed Carrick was the right person to continue in the role. (skysports.com) The Telegraph reported co-owner Jim Ratcliffe had given approval after an executive committee meeting during the week. (premierleague.com) Friday brought Carrick’s clearest public signal that a decision was close. “The future for me is going to be decided pretty soon,” he said, according to Sports Mole and the Telegraph. Both reports said Carrick spoke before Sunday’s meeting with Forest. ### What do the reported contract terms look like? Sky Sports said the agreement was for two years with an option year that could keep Carrick in charge until at least 2029. (skysports.com) The Telegraph reported the same broad structure and said United were working through final legal details before any announcement. (telegraph.co.uk) Sports Mole reported Carrick’s staff, including Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate and Jonny Evans, were also expected to stay. The Telegraph said United could still add another coach, possibly a set-piece specialist. ### Had Manchester United confirmed it by Sunday morning? Manchester United’s news page on Sunday carried pre-match items, including Carrick’s team selection for Nottingham Forest, but no article confirming a new contract at the time it was crawled. (skysports.com) The club staff page still described his role as running until the end of the season. Sunday’s next marker was the Nottingham Forest match at Old Trafford, scheduled for a 12:30 p.m. kickoff local time. (telegraph.co.uk) Sky Sports said confirmation was expected within 48 hours of its May 16 report, while the Telegraph said United hoped to complete the process in time for the home game. (skysports.com) (manutd.com)