'Helpful, patient, stable' - Michael Carrick has lots of what Man Utd need, even if he does not have everything

Premier LeagueHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsFantasyThe Athletic FC NewsletterPodcastsAFC BournemouthArsenalAston VillaBrentfordBrighton & Hove AlbionBurnleyChelseaCrystal PalaceEvertonFulhamLeeds UnitedLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedNottingham ForestSunderlandTottenham HotspurWest Ham UnitedWolverhampton WanderersChampions LeagueHomeScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsArsenalAtalantaAthletic ClubAtlético de MadridBarcelonaBayer LeverkusenBayern MunichBorussia DortmundCelticChelseaEintracht FrankfurtInternazionaleJuventusLiverpoolManchester CityMonacoNapoliNewcastle UnitedNiceOlympique MarseilleParis Saint-GermainRangersReal MadridTottenham HotspurVillarreal2026 Men's World CupHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleGroupsNewsletterAlgeriaArgentinaAustraliaAustriaBelgiumBosnia-HerzegovinaBrazilCanadaCape VerdeColombiaCongo DRCroatiaCuracaoCzech RepublicEcuadorEgyptEnglandFranceGermanyGhanaHaitiIR IranIraqIvory CoastJapanJordanMexicoMoroccoNetherlandsNew ZealandNorwayPanamaParaguayPortugalQatarSaudi ArabiaScotlandSenegalSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandTunisiaTurkeyUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanChampionshipHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsBirmingham CityBlackburn RoversBristol CityCharlton AthleticCoventry CityDerby CountyHull CityIpswich TownLeicester CityMiddlesbroughMillwallNorwich CityPortsmouthPreston North EndQueens Park RangersSheffield UnitedSheffield WednesdaySouthamptonStoke CitySwansea CityWatfordWest Bromwich AlbionWrexhamLa LigaHomeScores & ScheduleStandingsTeamsPodcastsCopa del ReyAlavésAthletic ClubAtlético de MadridBarcelonaCelta de VigoElcheEspanyolGetafeGironaLevanteMallorcaOsasunaRayo VallecanoReal BetisReal MadridReal OviedoReal SociedadSevillaValenciaVillarrealGolfHomeTennisHomeGrand Slam NewsletterFormula 1HomePrime Tire newsletterScheduleFA CupCricketEuropa LeagueHomeScores & ScheduleStandingsAberdeenAston VillaCelta de VigoCelticHibernianLilleNiceNottingham ForestOlympique LyonnaisRangersReal BetisWomen's FootballHomeNWSL ScheduleFull Time NewsletterPodcastsOlympicsHomeWinter Paralympics Medal TableMedal TableGlobal SportsCyclingSailingSports BusinessHomeBoxingHomeSerie AHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsAtalantaInternazionaleJuventusMilanNapoliBundesligaHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsBayer LeverkusenBayern MunichBorussia DortmundEintracht FrankfurtRB LeipzigWolfsburgInternational FootballHomeTeamsPodcastsArgentinaAustraliaBelgiumBrazilCameroonCanadaCosta RicaCroatiaDenmarkEcuadorEnglandFranceGermanyGhanaIR IranJapanMexicoMoroccoNetherlandsNorthern IrelandPolandPortugalQatarRepublic of IrelandSaudi ArabiaScotlandSenegalSerbiaSouth KoreaSpainSwitzerlandTunisiaUruguayUnited StatesUSWNTWalesNFLHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsFantasyNFL OddsNFL PicksNFL DraftPodcastsNFL NewsletterAFC EastBillsDolphinsJetsPatriotsAFC NorthBengalsBrownsRavensSteelersAFC SouthColtsJaguarsTexansTitansAFC WestBroncosChargersChiefsRaidersNFC EastCommandersCowboysEaglesGiantsNFC NorthBearsLionsPackersVikingsNFC SouthBuccaneersFalconsPanthersSaintsNFC West49ersCardinalsRamsSeahawksNBAHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsThe Bounce NewsletterNBA DraftPodcastsFantasyNBA OddsNBA PicksAtlantic76ersCelticsKnicksNetsRaptorsCentralBucksBullsCavaliersPacersPistonsSoutheastHawksHeatHornetsMagicWizardsSouthwestGrizzliesMavericksPelicansRocketsSpursNorthwestJazzNuggetsThunderTimberwolvesTrail BlazersPacificClippersKingsLakersSunsWarriorsMLBHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsThe Windup NewsletterFantasyMLB ProspectsMLB OddsMLB PicksAL EastBlue JaysOriolesRaysRed SoxYankeesAL CentralGuardiansRoyalsTigersTwinsWhite SoxAL WestAngelsAstrosAthleticsMarinersRangersNL EastBravesMarlinsMetsNationalsPhilliesNL CentralBrewersCardinalsCubsPiratesRedsNL WestDiamondbacksDodgersGiantsPadresRockiesNHLHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsFantasyNHL OddsNHL PicksAtlanticBruinsCanadiensLightningMaple LeafsPanthersRed WingsSabresSenatorsMetropolitanBlue JacketsCapitalsDevilsFlyersHurricanesIslandersPenguinsRangersCentralAvalancheBlackhawksBluesJetsMammothPredatorsStarsWildPacificCanucksDucksFlamesGolden KnightsKingsKrakenOilersSharksMLSHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsAtlanta UnitedAustin FCClub de Foot MontréalCharlotte FCCrewUnitedDynamoEarthquakesFC CincinnatiFC DallasFireGalaxyInter Miami CFLAFCMNUFCNashville SCNYCFCCity SCRapidsRed BullsReal Salt LakeRevolutionSan Diego FCSounders FCSporting KCSt. Louis City SCTimbersToronto FCUnionWhitecaps FCTransfer NewsFPLHomeEPL HomePodcastsLeague CupLeague OneLeague Two Women's EurosHomeScores & ScheduleStandingsBracketNWSLHomeScores & ScheduleStandingsFull Time newsletterPodcastsCollege SportsNCAAFHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsNewsletterRecruitingOddsPicksAlabamaArizonaBYUGeorgiaGeorgia TechHoustonIndianaIowaJames MadisonMiami (FL)MichiganNorth TexasNotre DameOhio StateOklahomaOle MissOregonTexas A&MTexasTexas TechTulaneUSCUtahVanderbiltVirginiaNCAAMHomeTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsTransfer Portal RankingsNBA DraftBracketAlabamaArizonaArkansasDukeFloridaGonzagaHoustonIllinoisIowaIowa StateKansasLouisvilleMiami (FL)Michigan StateMichiganNebraskaPurdueSt. John'sTennesseeTexasTexas TechUConnVanderbiltVirginiaWisconsinPeakMMAHomeMotorsportsHomePodcastsNASCARCultureHomeMemorabilia & CollectiblesGamingHomeSports BettingHomeFantasy FootballOddsNFL PicksEngland Squad LatestMan City Confirm Guardiola ExitCarrick's 2-Year Man Utd Deal‘Helpful, patient, stable’ – Michael Carrick has lots of what Man Utd need, even if he does not have everythingCarrick's leadership style has followed a personality test he took in 2015 Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images Share articleEverything we have learnt about Michael Carrick’s approach to leading Manchester United was foretold more than a decade ago by an HR questionnaire. Back in 2015, while Carrick was still a United player, the club’s former head of performance Tony Strudwick invited him to fill out a quiz devised by The Predictive Index, a company specialising in workplace behavioural science and psychometric testing. Carrick, the test results concluded, was “a helpful, patient, stable person who works steadily and consistently”, and who “prefers having, and following, a well thought-out process to ensure success”. “If Michael is responsible for establishing the process, he will do so in a thoughtful, methodical manner, paying close attention to the details and time-honoured successes. Once established, he will expect that the process be followed consistently, as he will do himself. “In making decisions, Michael is careful, and will take the time required to follow the established process, examine different angles, and explore enough to ensure few, if any, surprises afterward.” Carrick was blown away by the accuracy of the results — “scarily bang on”, he recalled in his autobiography. And now that we all know Carrick the head coach a little better, it is easy to see why those findings struck a chord. As The Predictive Index prophesied, Carrick has worked “steadily and consistently”: winning 11 of his 16 games in charge, with United collecting more points than any other Premier League side since his appointment. His “well thought-out process” has been built upon “time-honoured successes”: a back four, using Bruno Fernandes as a No 10, the radical idea of letting Kobbie Mainoo play football. He has shown patience: internally, never agitating that his success in this temporary role should guarantee him a permanent gig; in public, playing every question on the matter with a straight bat. And that careful, measured manner in all he does has helped dial down the day-to-day drama at this soap opera of a club. Under Ruben Amorim, a week’s worth was enough for an omnibus. With Carrick, you’d struggle to fill an episode. As a result, and as predicted, there have been “few, if any, surprises”. The only one, maybe, is Carrick himself: that he left the Old Trafford hierarchy with little choice but to go in a direction that appeared, if not impossible, then a more distant prospect in January. On Friday the club announced that Carrick would continue in his role as head coach, handing him a two-year extension on his contract. After the explosive, expensive failure of a young, raw manager who lacked experience at the highest level, there was a sense that United would look towards appointing an elite, high-profile coach of considerable stature as Amorim’s replacement. It gradually became clear that circumstances would make that difficult. Luis Enrique’s likely renewal at Paris Saint-Germain took arguably the prime candidate out of United’s reach, even though poaching him from Parc des Princes was never going to be easy in the first place. Thomas Tuchel and Carlo Ancelotti also appear committed to their current roles with England and Brazil long-term and would be engaged at this summer’s World Cup in any case, as would Julian Nagelsmann. Other options came with caveats. Aston Villa’s Unai Emery is a distinguished coach with pedigree but also a mixed record in elite-level jobs and a preference for control. Andoni Iraola, who is leaving Bournemouth this summer, is admired but untested. When every realistic candidate carries reservations, it is only natural that the reservations over a coach already in the job and getting results subside. Carrick is not highly experienced, nevertheless. His record of 155 games in management is substantially fewer than each of the alternatives, fewer even than the least experienced of his post-Alex Ferguson predecessors. Amorim had taken charge of 275 games upon appointment, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 274. The Solskjaer comparison is an easy — even lazy — one to make. Not just because Solskjaer’s tenure is remembered relatively fondly, but because Carrick was an influential sounding board during that era as an assistant. It is not clean or simple to compare him with himself, now six years older and wiser as a coach. It is relevant in one respect, though. Solskjaer was appointed permanently in unnecessary haste, before a Champions League spot was secured, the decision effectively made by that extraordinary night against Paris Saint-Germain in March 2019. Only afterwards, the season unravelled, and questions were raised about United’s process. This time, under a different hierarchy, United avoided moving early, instead waiting until Champions League qualification was confirmed. But whatever happened, without the domestic cups or European football to compete in, Carrick could only take charge of a maximum of 17 games before a decision had to be made. What was Solskjaer’s 17th game as caretaker? Paris. Carrick has been appointed later in the season than Solskjaer but two games sooner. That is not really United’s fault. It is certainly not Carrick’s. But it is a warning that the enthusiasm and momentum that can build up behind a coach over the course of less than half a Premier League season is not easily sustained. One other factor rumbling through this process has been whether Carrick’s personality would align with what Sir Jim Ratcliffe would typically want in a coach. United’s minority owner, yet ultimate decision-maker, had previously been drawn towards more gregarious characters. Tuchel’s charisma was almost enough to force Erik ten Hag out of a job two years ago. Amorim’s afforded him the licence to win just 24 of 63 games and yet still last 14 months in charge, while regularly telling Ratcliffe to “f*** off” along the way. Carrick has both a charm and an edge of his own and yet is also unquestionably more understated, the “helpful, patient, stable person” of the Predictive Index report. But then, is that such a bad thing? Put the results to one side, and just as compelling an argument for Carrick’s candidacy as United’s turnaround on the pitch is his popularity off it with the players and on Carrington’s shop floor. Having spent only four of the past 20 years away from Old Trafford, he is intimately familiar with how the different strands of United’s football department operate and how the club’s processes work. That level of integration and understanding between a coaching staff and a wider football department is neither a guarantee nor something to be taken for granted. The feeling inside Carrington matches the sentiment among many on the outside, whether among United’s supporters or most of the cast of ex-players in punditry: that Carrick could not have done anything more to earn this opportunity. That, frankly, he deserves it. It is hard to argue otherwise. It was while he was reading through the psychometric test’s findings that Carrick began to seriously consider that his post-playing career lay in coaching. To him, that “helpful, patient, stable person” sounded like somebody who could be a head coach one day. And reading it back now, it sounds like exactly the sort of head coach that a club too often enamoured by status, too easily drawn in by larger-than-life personalities, could benefit from. Whether Carrick was the type of head coach United were looking for at the outset of this process or not, he is the type of head coach they have found, and maybe the type they have been missing. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms