From seventh to third: how Michael Carrick rebuilt Manchester United in seven weeks
Ruben Amorim's departure on January 5 felt inevitable but no less chaotic. The Portuguese had lasted 14 months in the Old Trafford hot seat, reaching the Europa League final in May 2025 but losing the dressing room and the boardroom in equal measure. Public disagreements over transfers and a run of poor form left United in sixth by the time the axe fell. Darren Fletcher steadied things briefly as caretaker before Carrick was announced as interim head coach, with his first match coming on January 17 against Manchester City.
A derby win set the tone
That derby, and the 2-0 win that came with it, set the tone for everything that followed. United beat Arsenal 3-2 at the Emirates a week later. Then Fulham 3-2 at home. Then Tottenham 2-0. A 1-1 draw at West Ham was the only game in which United dropped points. Wins over Everton and Crystal Palace followed, and suddenly a team that had been drifting through the season found itself third in the table with 51 points.
Six wins and a draw from seven league matches is the best form of any club in the Premier League over that stretch.
Back to basics with a 4-2-3-1
Carrick's approach has been straightforward but effective. He scrapped Amorim's 3-4-3 system and returned to a 4-2-3-1, a formation the squad clearly feels more comfortable in. The press is higher and more aggressive, possession is more patient in the build-up, and the transitions from defence to attack are quicker. Players who looked lost under Amorim are performing again.
The club is reportedly planning to make a decision on the permanent manager before the summer. Julian Nagelsmann has expressed interest, and there was brief speculation about Carlo Ancelotti. But Carrick's results have made him the obvious candidate. Multiple reports describe him as the outstanding favourite for the full-time role.
Same squad, different results
What makes Carrick's turnaround notable is not just the results but the context. Amorim's dismissal cost United close to 16 million pounds in settlement payments. The squad was not significantly reinforced in January. Carrick has been working with essentially the same group of players who looked mediocre just weeks earlier, which says more about coaching than it does about recruitment.
Arsenal, on 67 points, are 16 clear of United, so the title is not a realistic target. Carrick acknowledged as much in a recent press conference, though he stopped short of ruling anything out entirely. The more immediate prize is a top-four finish and Champions League qualification, which looked unlikely two months ago and now looks entirely within reach.
The question for United's board is simple: do they look beyond what is working to chase a bigger name, or do they back the man who has already turned the situation around? The form, and increasingly the mood around Old Trafford, suggests the answer.
