Manchester United Thread 25/26 - Teamtalk/Transfers/Gossip Mod Note in OP 12.02.26

12 points off first.

Hopefully these fuckers aren't the ones to spoil five wins in a row. It's nearly two years since 5 in a row was done. Luton Feb 18th 2024 and Rasmus had scored in six consecutive PL games. West Ham were also one of those five wins.

We should be beating them. Chelsea are the only team of note they played and they lost.

Attacked the team coach on the last game at Upton Park too.

Lads, is it that outlandish to give Carrick the gig should top 4 be achieved?

Andrews at Brentford should be a prime example. No head coaching experience at all, and has them flying against the odds. I know they are operating at a different level to United, but at the end of the day the Premier League is like trying to get a managerial job in a big tech company, you need some smarts about you.

Look at the NFL, the scrutiny prespective coaches are put through is insane. PL should be the same, if your good enough to be even considered as an interim for a PL club, your in the top 1% in your job. The current coach of the Seahawks went from being an Offensive Coordinator to on the brink of the Super Bowl.

100%, we are in the best form of the season, 2nd best in the league.

Nice fit squad and nothing niggly for any of the players during the week please.

Carrick always seemed a very intelligent player, read the game well, composed and calm. Qualities that stand to a manager as well imo

If united get top four comfertable and a top top tier manager ain't available and not interested then hundred percent Carrick should be favourite. I wouldn't be getting rid of him to bring in any of the mid table managers in the prem I think that would be even more risky than Carrick.

If we could get a Louis Enrique level manager I'd be not so sure.

What hapenend with ole should not be a factor it's a total different circumstance and I fully believe Carrick would have more support and be better equipped than ole was.

I think it's gonna be hard to leave it until end of season to make the decision alot of clubs going to be after top managers.

The problem with "top tier" managers is that the line between success and failure is so very, very slim. Good managers fail at clubs all the time, average managers go on runs and win trophies, it is basically a crapshoot as to whether or not any particular manager will be the former or the latter.

Enrique, Guardiola, Zidane for example, I wouldn't bet any mortgage on any of them being a guaranteed success at United. No more than top tier managers like Van Gaal or Mourinho were.

Knowing that, knowing that whomever is picked is going to be a big risk no matter who it is, then why wouldn't you just go with the guy in place who is already there and winning games? Why not just let him continue on until he stops winning games, and then replace him then?

I know some will come back with talk about long term planning etc etc. Thats just overthinking it. Long term planning is having the foundations and culture behind the scenes, it has nothing to do with "systems managers" or picking one way of playing.

No contract should be handed to anybody before the summer. But when that time comes and if Carrick has 15 odd good performances and results, well, what better of an interview do people want?

Your post seems to imply that all managerial risk is equal and I don’t agree with that at all. Saying that appointing someone like Luis Enrique, Pep Guardiola or Zinedine Zidane carries the same level of risk as making Michael Carrick permanent after a strong 15 game spell is heart over head thinking.

I’ve really enjoyed Carrick’s start and what he and his staff are doing is great, but choosing the best possible candidate isn’t just about long term planning. It’s about putting the club in the strongest position possible to succeed and improve next season.

This is a unique season. No Europe, just two cup games, far less travelling and a lot more time on the training pitch. These are advantages none of the other big clubs in England currently have and they create almost perfect conditions for an interim manager like Carrick to come in and get a run of results out of the squad. Those conditions will not exist in August. This is where the concern should be.

IF performances fall off next season with the busier schedule and more demands on the squad, players not being as endearing of the manager like they were when he was interim - and we then have to move on to a new manager again - that’s another season written off. One where Bruno is in his prime and Mbeumo and Cunha are at the right age etc.

Your argument seems to be ‘there’s a risk with any manager, so why not let Carrick take it’. My issue with that is that I don’t think all managers carry the same level of risk. As much as I love the idea of Carrick being the best answer, the probability is that he isn’t.

He absolutely should be part of the conversation and if he keeps delivering results that strengthens his case of course. I want to be clear - I am not ruling him out at all - but even if Champions League qualification is achieved, you still have to seriously consider managers with a proven ability to compete at the top level and win things. If an opportunity to appoint someone of the calibre of Luis Enrique presents itself (it might not) - you don’t turn that down based purely on a short-term run, however enjoyable it has been.

I think this thing of saying Carrick is playing players in their positions and its the magical fix is an injustice.

I'm not tactical magician but I can see there's more too it than that. Of course Bruno is better further up that's obvious but we are setup more compact there's less gaps between midfield and defence and there is less space in the channels because our wingers are dropping back to help you the full backs.

Our passing is better it's clear there's been a focus on faster passing we are moving the ball from defence to attack in less touches. We are attacking with 3 defenders, 2 midfielders and five players in attacking position so we are stretching teams wide it's making space for Casemiro and cunha and Bruno in the middle. It remind me of Chelsea from around 2016 I think.

Even the set piece goal today the players didn't just come up with that it liek Carrick said it was thansk to Johnny Evans who put the time in coaching the routine.

There's lots of things we are doing different not just saying you play here and play there and go enjoy yourself.