Manchester United and the Carrick conundrum | Soccer

TAKING THE MICHAEL

Having “given it Carrick ‘til the end of the season” and with the conclusion of the campaign heaving into view, the Manchester United hierarchy will soon be forced to make a Big Decision. Whether it has involved laying off staff, spending the thick end of £40m hiring and firing head coaches and suits in the middle of an economy drive or airing his opinions on immigrants, many of the decisions Big Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made have been bad. There’s no guarantee he’ll pick the right head coach to lead the club into next season. On the face of it, Michael Carrick has done a decent job. helping mastermind victory in nine of his 13 matches in charge, while his narrowed eyes, bestubbled jaw and the upturned collar of his black wool-blend overcoat lend him the air of an unflappable Berlin-based intelligence officer in a gritty cold war spy thriller. Softly spoken, liked by United fans and players, he seems the easy (possibly even obvious) option now Bigger Cup football has been all but secured for next season.

Of course a more cynical email than Football Daily might be inclined to point out that in whipping the unmotivated rabble Ruben Amorim left behind into shape, Carrick has not exactly performed miracles, but simply decided to pick Kobbie Mainoo and move Bruno Fernandes, the beating heart of United, closer to the opposition goal. He is also reaping the benefits of having an ageing Brazilian holding midfielder who is showcasing the form of a mercenary angling for one last big payday when his contract expires in the summer. “Cas has had an influence in the group,” soothed Carrick of the soon-to-be-gone Casemiro. “He has huge experience and given everything you can possibly give. But it’s football. Players come and go.”

While there are plenty of sound arguments for keeping Carrick in the Old Trafford hot seat, Monday’s victory over Brentford also provided plenty of ammo for those who would prefer to see him replaced by somebody whose credentials are more elite. While United secured the win, both their goals came resolutely against the run of play. If an uncharacteristically out-of-sorts Igor Thiago hadn’t put his Nike Phantom Elite boots on the wrong feet, they might have come out on the wrong end of a hiding. United’s over-reliance on Fernandes to provide goals and assists ought also to be a concern. This is not least because qualification for Bigger Cup and their general improvement means they will have to play considerably more matches next season than the bare minimum of 40 across three competitions they’ll have clocked up by the end of the current campaign. “He’s going to be the Manchester United manager next season, no doubt about that,” yelped Jamie Carragher on Sky’s Monday Night Football. “The performances of late have not been great but it’s not a great Manchester United team.”

Whether Carragher is right or merely stirring the pot remains to be seen. But if Big Sir Jim decides that a well-tailored coat and a knack-free Fernandes are sufficient foundations for a league title and European charge, then he truly is the maverick his PR team claims him to be. If not, Carrick may soon find that while players come and go, interim managers usually do so much faster. Given their recent track record we can probably all agree that whatever decision the United hierarchy makes at season’s end will almost certainly end up being unwise.

LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE

Join Scott Murray at 8pm BST for piping-hot MBM coverage of PSG 2-2 Bayern, as arguably the two best teams in Europe vie to make the Bigger Cup final in their semi-final first-leg.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“As Barça manager I brought back Dani Alves and tried to bring Neymar, Pedro and Leo Messi back as well. Pedro and Neymar couldn’t be signed because of the economic situation. For Messi, the [chief suit Joan] Laporta didn’t want him back. We talked for five months, and everything was ready but in the end the president said no, and the deal collapsed” – Xavi, the Barcelona legend turned manager who left the club in 2024 under a storm after talks with … you guessed it … Laporta, claims to Romário TV (yep, that Romário) that the president was the reason why Messi (yep, that one) didn’t make an emotional return to Catalonia.

It’s Bigger Cup semi-final time. Bayern Munich, PSG, Atlético and Arsenal all going at it to prove who’s the best in Europe. There’s really only one thing missing: the booming tones of Rio Ferdinand and his otherworldly non-sequiturs. Who can forget him shouting ‘Ballon d’Or’ repeatedly or even ‘This is a win for football’ echoing around Europe? My own personal favourite? ‘Space kills!’ Rio Ferdinand, part-pundit, part-philosopher. We miss you” – Myles Flynn.

Always love when you make a wry Wire reference (yesterday’s Football Daily, full email edition). In response to your Jimmy McNulty comment, perhaps the street corner whisperings of ‘Rochdale coming’ will put a bit of fear into rivals’ hearts” – Mike Wilner.

Mention of Halley’s Comet (yesterday’s Football Daily) reminded me of how old I am, having seen it last time. Back in those days of course clubs never used their financial clout to gain an advantage. Apart from Liverpool (which worked) and Manchester United (which, erm, didn’t – see Mike Phelan, Neil Webb and Danny Wallace)” – Andy Taylor.

As a fan of the Football Daily’s last line, not only do I understand yesterday’s text, but I have an answer to ‘DID THEY RUN 27.2 MILES?’ Yes, they bloody well did. I ran it back in 1992 and I still wake up screaming some nights in memory. Fun runners, my @rse!” – Shaun Clark.

Now that you’ve awarded a (well merited) prize again, no doubt you will be inundated by letters from all the Old Faithfuls around these parts, clawing at any trivial issue to compete for a similar award. Step up Messrs Oh, Francis et al. What’s that? My trivial issue? Oh, let’s see, how about your use of ‘best legal team’ when it should have been ‘better legal team’, considering you explicitly stated ‘two footballing behemoths’? Will that do? No, thought as much” – Ken Muir (and no other Old Faithfuls).

If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s letter o’ the day winner is … Myles Flynn, who gets a copy of Classic Football Shirts, courtesy of Penguin. It’s out on Thursday and you can order a copy here if you’re not successful. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.

MOVING THE GOALPOSTS

Nigeria and Brighton keeper Chiamaka Nnadozie talks to Osasu Obayiuwana about the debacle to postpone Wafcon (with added chat about boomboxes and life in leafy East Sussex) in the latest edition of our sister newsletter.

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It’s not just men’s Bigger Cup this week, with both women’s semi-finals also taking place this weekend: OL Lyonnes v Arsenal (first leg: 1-2) and Barcelona v Bayern (1-1). The Women’s Football Weekly pod squad delve into the details, and also discuss a pivotal weekend in the WSL title race.

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