Talk of the Devils: Should Champions League qualification get Michael Carrick the Manchester United job?

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It was an honour to have Bryan on the show with us. He told some fantastic stories from his time as captain at Old Trafford and ran through his thoughts on how to reshape United’s midfield. But his take on the head coach stood out. Normally, you would expect a club ambassador to toe the party line. So is that it? Do the hierarchy agree that Champions League football would provide the rubber stamp to seal Carrick’s future? I think all of us on the panel of the podcast agree that it should. That’s not to say we have been given a certain tip-off by anyone that the club also thinks the same but the achievement of returning United to Europe’s elite competition shouldn’t be overlooked in the context of this season and recent campaigns. United have qualified once for the Champions League since 2021. They’ve spent nearly as many seasons out of the competition as they have in it since Sir Alex Ferguson retired 13 years ago. They’ve played more Europa League matches than Champions League matches since then, too. Ruben Amorim didn’t qualify for it. Neither did David Moyes or Ralf Rangnick. Erik ten Hag did it once. As did Louis van Gaal. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did it twice — the only manager to do it back to back through their league position. Jose Mourinho did it twice too but once through the league and once through winning the Europa League. It’s certainly not a guarantee for the modern Manchester United. Carrick looks set to deliver a Champions League berth despite picking up the baton mid-season when the team had won just one of their previous seven games. They were seventh — not an absolutely disastrous position in January but as I’ve written in this column before, certainly not a position that gave many people belief that 12 matches later, they would have an eight-point cushion in their quest to get back to Europe’s top table. Manchester City’s win at Burnley on Wednesday means that Pep Guardiola has now taken more points since Carrick took charge at Old Trafford, but he’s the only boss in the Premier League who can boast that. Under Carrick, victories over their city rivals as well as Arsenal and Chelsea have been impressive in different ways. And the results away at Emirates Stadium and Stamford Bridge also ensured this United team are the first since 1985 to win away at Liverpool (under Amorim), Arsenal and Chelsea in the same league season — Sir Alex couldn’t even do that. “He knows what Man United’s all about. Some managers come in and they don’t realise how big the club is,” said Robson on the podcast. “From where Michael’s taken us, I think he’s done a great job. His backroom staff seem as if they’re doing a really good job as well. “So Michael’s brought the right people in, and then it’s for Michael to sit down with the hierarchy at the club and make sure that they bring quality players in to improve us as a team and as a squad.” United certainly don’t seem to be allowing the uncertainty over Carrick’s future affect their transfer plans and Thursday’s show gave an incredible insight into the status of their interest in Elliot Anderson, Carlos Baleba, Aurelien Tchouameni and Micky van de Ven amongst others. Andy Mitten stated on the show that the club are driving the transfer policy, and not the manager or head coach like in the past. I’m biased but the episode is a must-watch, not least for Andy’s revelation about Pep Guardiola. I won’t spoil it — have a watch. United are also assessing the manager market, of course, and will not be rushed into a decision on the future of their head coach. Laurie Whitwell reported last week that the hierarchy will wait until the summer to make a decision when they see where the team finishes, so that they can sense the mood and study the final data. But the case for Carrick gets stronger the more you look into the realities of other candidates. Luis Enrique is almost always the first name anyone mentions, but would he be willing to leave PSG this summer? There’s a question anyway about whether United would want to pay the sort of compensation that a move like that would take. Some of the other names mentioned like Thomas Tuchel and Julian Nagelsmann are committed to their current roles beyond the summer as well. Then there’s the World Cup. For Tuchel and Nagelsmann — plus Mauricio Pochettino and Carlo Ancelotti, who have also been linked with the position — the timelines are a huge barrier. If any of those managers were successful in guiding their team to the latter stages of the tournament, they would miss the start of United’s pre-season and possibly even their first pre-season game against Wrexham in Finland. The match in Helsinki is scheduled to take place 24 hours before the final in the United States. There has been concern over Carrick when it comes to the team’s performances against less expansive opposition, a perceived reluctance to make earlier substitutions in matches, and his lack of experience in top-level management. The media are still adjusting to his style of communication after the openness of Amorim. The Leeds defeat in particular brought the most questions. But two more wins guarantee Champions League qualification and that could seal a lot more than just a place in the competition again. Should Champions League football guarantee Michael Carrick the role as the permanent head coach? Vote below and let me know your reasons in the comments. What a weekend it was for Jim Thwaites. The midfielder was influential in United’s FA Youth Cup semi-final win over Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Friday night, playing 120 minutes in a 2-1 win after extra time. Then, he got the call after the game from first-team coach Travis Binnon that he was in the senior squad for the first time for the Chelsea game less than 24 hours later. Thwaites travelled down in a car with Binnion on Saturday morning, joining up with the group in London around lunchtime. He described himself as being “over the moon” with his first experience with Michael Carrick’s team. “The scenes in the dressing room were unbelievable,” added Thwaites. The victory at Stamford Bridge was crucial for United and to be around that atmosphere would’ve been invaluable for him. Laurie’s transfer article also pointed out that the club would like to promote someone from the academy as part of their overhaul of midfield. Thwaites, who is 18, is well placed to be that player after impressing Carrick at the recent training camp in Ireland. Former boss Amorim also liked what he saw on the club’s post-season tour of Asia last year. The midfielder’s set-piece ability has drawn comparisons with David Beckham on social media and it’s certainly something that’s caught the attention of his coaches in the academy. He has a slight build but his eye for a pass and excellent ball control mark him as a leading candidate for a future first-team spot. One year Thwaites’ senior is Jack Fletcher, who is another player that could play a role. Fletcher, along with his twin brother, Tyler, has been around the first team for much of the campaign. The 19-year-old made three substitute appearances back in December and has been on the bench five further time, too. Jack Moorhouse has also been around the picture after a loan in League One at Leyton Orient, Jacob Devaney has impressed at St Mirren since moving on loan in January and Sekou Kone is also a player who has previously been mentioned. He’s only made a handful of appearances at Lausanne in the Swiss Super League after a horror head injury in a National League Cup game at Tamworth in August. A post shared by kobbie mainoo (@kobbie) A post shared by Talk Of The Devils (@totdevils) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms