Michael Carrick has naturally been compared to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ever since returning to Manchester United as an interim head coach.
When Ineos chose to make a temporary head coach appointment, it was between Michael Carrick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Carrick is now favourite for the permanent job after stepping in and losing just two of his 15 matches in charge of the Red Devils this season.
Because Carrick worked under Solskjaer during his time at United, natural comparisons have been made. While it is lazy to suggest they are identical in their management, they have both struggled with the same problem.
What is your MESSAGE to Michael Carrick after Man Utd’s draw with Sunderland?
Michael Carrick suffers from Man United rotation
In the latest 0-0 draw with Sunderland, Michael Carrick made sweeping changes to his starting XI with Champions League qualification already secured.
In his post-match comments, Carrick said he was “offended” by suggestions that his players were unfocused and relaxed against Sunderland.
The reality is that there was a huge drop in quality when Carrick made changes to his side, and that is a problem that also plagued Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during his time in charge.
Back in 2021, pundit Paul Merson slammed Solskjaer for rotating in a match which knocked United out of the FA Cup.
“When you rotate, you have to get the balance right,” Merson said to Sky Sports. “When you rotate and you win, it’s great but when you rotate and you don’t win, that’s when the problems start.
“The one player Manchester United have to play is [Bruno] Fernandes. I thought it was strange and a bad result for Man Utd. Shocking.”
It was a recurring problem for Solskjaer, who was heavily criticised for relying on individual brilliance during his time at United.
Michael Carrick is just another Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with better players: __ % AGREE
Fill in the blank. Is Carrick actually a better coach, or are we falling for the same trap again?
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s rotation problems at Man Utd
This season, Carrick has only had to compete in the Premier League because United were not in Europe and out of both cup competitions by the time he was appointed.
As a result, Carrick has used the fewest number of players of any Premier League manager since getting the job.
That was also a pattern under Solskjaer, but it eventually led to player unrest.
READ MORE: Michael Carrick did Ten Hag’s ideal experiment with Man Utd ace vs Sunderland, it can’t be repeated
As reported by Tribuna, United players grew “frustrated” at Solskjaer’s “reluctance to rotate”. However, when Solskjaer did rotate, it often resulted in a very poor performance.
Carrick may face the same issue next season, provided he is given the permanent job.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
