Michael Carrick laid a strong case for his future managerial credentials in football by leading Manchester United to a win against Villarreal.
Carrick is United’s caretaker boss in wake of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking, and while the Red Devils won’t look to appoint him permanently, he made a good case for his coaching qualities.
United won the game 2-0, with Carrick making a number of smart calls in the win.
READ MORE: 4 decisions Carrick got right as United beat Villarreal
United’s success under Carrick was a relief for fans, who had not seen the team win a match all month, and it also set a club landmark in the process.
As noted by Opta, this was the first time an English manager had won his first ever game in charge of Manchester United since 1931, a span of 90 years.
How impressive is it?
To match an achievement for the first time in 90 years certainly sounds impressive.
It is tempered by the fact Manchester United have not had an English manager in charge of the club since Ron Atkinson, who was appointed by the club 40 years ago in 1981.
Walter Crickmer was the manager whose record Solskjaer equalled. He was appointed in 1931 for one year, the first of two spells he had at the club.
Since then the three English managers to take charge of Manchester United were Wilf McGuinness, Dave Sexton and Ron Atkinson, before Carrick was now placed in temporary charge.
While just a caretaker spell, it is a novelty to see an Englishman in charge of United again.
It is likely he will be replaced by a foreign coach, as interim, or permanent.
If Carrick does want to go and become future Manchester United boss one day, he will have to go and prove himself elsewhere, and earn it.
He did his chances of that no harm in midweek. There will be clubs keen to give him an opportunity, and there could be a queue if he leads United to a win over Chelsea at the weekend.
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