- Manchester United are yet to make contact with any manager candidate
- Team is performing extremely well, and the board do not want to disturb that
- Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada are keeping their option open, with Carrick currently at the forefront
According to Rob Dorsett of Sky News, Manchester United have yet to approach any external managerial candidates, with the board highly satisfied by current interim manager Michael Carrick’s work, leaving him firmly in first place for the permanent role.
Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada are currently keeping their options open as they discuss potential permanent managers, with the director of football and chief executive officer in no rush to make a decision.
Carrick, who has been acting interim since 13 January, has enjoyed a successful start to his second spell at the head of Manchester United, picking up 23 points in 10 games as he spearheaded United from 5th in the table to 3rd.
His 70% win rate in his second spell ranks as the second-highest ever for a Manchester United manager, surpassed only by Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy, who won three of four games after Erik ten Hag was sacked last October.
Could Carrick be the one?
As already mentioned, Carrick has had a dream start to life at Manchester United.
10 games, seven wins, 20 goals scored and three clean sheets.
Since he took the reins at the Red Devils, no other side has accumulated more points than Carrick’s side.
The only blemish on his record so far came in a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle.
The news that Manchester United haven’t approached any external candidates gives the Englishman a major boost.
But how does he stack up against the four other frontrunners for the job?
Carrick vs the competition*
| Manager | Most recent club | Notable clubs managed | Notable honours won | Manchester United and Middlesbrough |
| Michael Carrick | Manchester United (interim, current) | River Plate and Atlético Madrid | N/A | Likely |
| Julian Nagelsmann | German national team (current) | Bayern Munich and Germany | The Bundesliga | Somewhat likely |
| Roberto De Zerbi | Marseille | Manchester United and Middlesbrough | Ukrainian Super Cup | Somewhat likely |
| Oliver Glasner | Crystal Palace (current) | Brighton and Marseille | The Europa League and FA Cup | Somewhat likely |
| Diego Simeone | Atletico Madrid (current) | River Plate and Atletico Madrid | Two La Liga and Europa League titles | Unlikely |
*Other candidates selected based on current betting odds.
The table above shows that, while Carrick leads the race for the job, he has the least managerial experience of the five candidates.
The Englishman has managed only Middlesbrough in a permanent role, and is yet to lay his hand on any silverware.
On the flip side, Diego Simeone is the least likely to join the club, but the Argentine is the most successful among the managers on the list.
Serving Atletico since December 2011, his 14-year stint with Los Colchoneros is the second longest in Europe. Whilst at the Spanish side, he has managed 786 games, won two La Liga titles, two Europa Leagues, a Copa del Rey, and a host of other trophies.
Julian Nagelsmann, Robert Di Zerbi, and Oliver Glasnar all represent alternative options for the Manchester United board, each seen as a somewhat likely candidate.
All three have achieved varying degrees of success in their careers, with each claiming silverware at different levels of the game.
What next?
With just seven games left of the Premier League season, it is highly unlikely that we will see any permanent announcements over the next two months.
Whilst Carrick may have the thought in his mind about the possibility of permanently being in the dugout for his former club, his prerogative is to ensure United qualify for the Champions League.
If he continues his impressive start and secures a third-place finish, we will likely see him on the sidelines once again next season.
