Gary Lineker’s revised Manchester United prediction in the second half of the 2025-26 Premier League season speaks volumes about his feelings ahead of the current campaign.
Michael Carrick has overseen a turnaround for Manchester United since the Red Devils legend replaced Ruben Amorim in the Old Trafford hot seat in the short term.
Ruben Amorim’s 14-month reign at Man Utd ended in January and the Red Devils were in sixth place in the Premier League table at the time of his sacking.
However, the Red Devils have since ascended to third place in the Premier League table after Michael Carrick won seven of his opening nine matches in charge.
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Gary Lineker’s powerful assessment of Man Utd’s Premier League campaign now under Michael Carrick
The Red Devils strengthened their pursuit of Champions League football for the 2026-27 season after Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Aston Villa on Sunday.
United’s Premier League result over Aston Villa at Old Trafford opened up a three-point margin between the Red Devils and their fourth-place rivals.
The Red Devils are seven points behind second-place Manchester City in the final eight Premier League matches of the 2025-26 campaign under Michael Carrick.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football, Gary Lineker has insisted that it is “very likely” Man Utd will be one of the top-four teams alongside Manchester City and Arsenal.
“Yeah, I think you’re probably right there,” he said.
“It’s going to be interesting to see who get[s] the other spots for the Champions League.
“I’m presuming it’s five, but if all the English teams crash out of the Champions League this week, that might change.
“But I mean, Liverpool dropped points to Spurs at home. I don’t think many of us envisage that happening. Spurs rallied a bit.
“[Aston] Villa lost; Chelsea lost. So, it’s really looking like obviously Arsenal and Manchester City and very likely to be Manchester United. And then probably two from three or possibly one from three.
“I think it’ll still be five.”
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Gary Lineker’s top-four backing for Man Utd shows the massive pivot of the Red Devils’ season
Lineker’s pre-season prediction for Man Utd summed up how major the appointment of Carrick has been for the Red Devils in their post-Ruben Amorim era of the club.
Amorim’s 15th-place finish with the Red Devils in the 2024-25 Premier League season came on the back of being appointed United manager during the campaign.
Erik ten Hag had been offloaded from Old Trafford in 2024 and the Red Devils’ season continued to collapse under former Sporting CP manager Amorim.
The expectation for the current campaign was so low that even Lineker’s most optimistic United prediction was for a “mid-table” finish under Amorim.
“Manchester United,” he said on The Rest Is Football podcast in August 2025.
“I mean, they have bought, you know, three players in.
“We don’t know how good [Benjamin] Sesko is going to be in the Premier League. I think he scored, what, 13 goals last season? Mid-table? I see mid-table.
“They need to improve on last season. So, I think to get into Europe, I mean, it seems ridiculous to say this about Manchester United, doesn’t it?
“To get into any kind of European football next season would probably be a bonus.”
The Carrick ‘effect’ — or even ‘revolution’ — has been the most brilliant decision that Ineos made to ensure that the Red Devils’ season did not entirely collapse on itself.
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