Michael Carrick is getting a lot of backers in the race for him to become the permanent manager of the club, and he’s now invoked a key Sir Alex Ferguson trait to strengthen the case.
Across two spells at Man Utd, now and another back in 2021 when he took over from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrick has had the Midas touch.
Wins over the likes of Mikel Arteta, Pep Guardiola, and a draw against Thomas Tuchel mean he hasn’t had to face any real doubts at Old Trafford.
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It has led to things being rosy under him all the time, but he’s now warned his Man Utd squad that he has a key Sir Alex Ferguson trait in him, which he’ll bring out at the right ‘time and place’.
Michael Carrick invokes Sir Alex Ferguson’s trait
Any time a Man Utd manager gets compared to Sir Alex Ferguson, that is as big a compliment as he can possibly get.
Carrick already knows he’s fighting his detractors who think he could be too much like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, so he’s being extra careful.
Be it bringing up the talk of his structure amidst his creative freedom, or stressing the importance of being present on the training pitch, Carrick is talking like a Man Utd manager.
He has now warned the squad that he could be more like Sir Alex rather than Solskjaer if the time and place demand it.
He was asked whether he had had to drop any of Sir Alex’s trademark “hairdryer” treatment on his players so far, and he kept his response equal parts fun and ominous.
He said: “The boys have been good with that, though, they’ve managed it really well, and kind of had the high of the win, come back into training, and focused on the next one, and we’ve got to keep that going.
“There’s a time and a place for everything [like giving the players the hairdryer treatment].”
Carrick’s next test will be in the face of adversity
So far, Carrick has answered a major question about his skills with every game.
The Man City game proved his ability to get the players up for a marquee game. Beating Arsenal alone this season is a massive skill; Fulham’s momentum was sapped at Old Trafford, and Spurs’ low-block was broken apart with ease.
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What he hasn’t answered so far, and hopefully won’t for a long time to come, is whether he can galvanise a depressed dressing room.
That isn’t necessarily after a single loss, but more about emerging from a period of poor results with the players by his side, capable of turning it around.
Under previous managers, maybe except for Erik ten Hag, a sustained period of poor results eventually saw the manager get stuck in a permanent rut he could never get out of.
That will speak about the longevity of Carrick’s tenure, and invoking Sir Alex Ferguson’s hairdryer treatment will help him achieve it.
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