Michael Carrick has decided not to demote himself to the assistant coach role after successfully serving as Manchester United caretaker coach for almost a month. He said it was the right time for him to leave Old Trafford.
Recall that Michael Carrick who played for Manchester United between 2006 and 2018, served as an assistant coach under coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
About a month ago, the 40-year-old former England midfielder signed a contract with Manchester United which ought to keep him at Old Trafford for three years as an assistant coach.
However, the club decided to sack coach Solskjaer due to a poor run of games but decided to keep the assistant coaches of the Norwegian tactician.
United made Michael Carrick the caretaker coach of the club and his first assignment was to travel with the team to Spain to play a UEFA Champions League group stage game against Villarreal on November 23, 2021.
Unlike the days of coach Solskjaer in which Manchester United often struggle in games, Carrick’s United had it so easy against Villarreal. At the end of the game, the Premier League side beat the Spanish side 2-0 to qualify for the Champions League round of 16.
Despite such a performance, Manchester United continued to search for an interim coach to replace sacked coach Solskjaer. The interim coach is expected to coach the club for 6 months.
In the midst of that, Carrick continued to perform miracles with the same crop of players that were struggling under Solskjaer.
On November 28, he led Manchester United to Stamford Bridge to earn a hard-fought 1-1 draw with the league’s table toppers, Chelsea.
Ahead of the game, it was confirmed that coach Ralf Rangnick had agreed to become the interim coach of the club for 6 months, afterward, he would switch to a 2-year consultancy deal with the club.
Rangnick would have taken charge of the Manchester United vs Arsenal game on Thursday, December 2, 2021. But the German tactician was not able to secure his work permit before the game. However, the German tactician was able to do so before the match kicked off.
Hence, he watched from the stands while Michael Carrick took charge of the team against a very determined Arsenal side.
Fortunately for the Manchester United legend, he ended his caretaker role at Old Trafford with a 3-2 victory over Arsenal which means that the English tactician did not record any defeat in his short managerial spell.
After the game, Carrick told reporters that he was walking away from the club and noted that he would remain a fan of the Premier League giant.
“My time at this great club will always rank as the best years of my career”, he said. “When I first signed over 15 years ago, I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined winning so many trophies and I will certainly never forget the fantastic memories both as a player and as a member of the coaching team.
“However, after a lot of thought and deliberation, I have decided that now is the right time for me to leave the club.
“I want to place on record my thanks to all of the players and a special mention goes to the backroom staff, working long hours with such a great group of people has been a real pleasure and I have made some long-lasting friendships.
“I am, and will always be a Manchester United fan and will come to as many matches as possible. I would like to wish Ralf, the staff, the players, and the fans all the best for the future and I look forward to being in the stands and supporting the boys as a fan.”
BREAKING: Michael Carrick has stepped down as #MUFC first-team coach and will leave the club following the conclusion of his spell as caretaker manager 👇 pic.twitter.com/nRyaL3jfZ7
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 2, 2021
While the club’s football director John Murtough added: “Michael leaves with the sincerest thanks and best wishes of everyone at Manchester United after 15 years of exceptional service to the club as a player and as a coach. While we are sad to see him go, we respect and understand Michael’s decision.
“He will always be known as one of the finest midfielders in the history of Manchester United, and, more recently, as an excellent coach who has worked tirelessly under two managers to help develop the strong squad which Ralf will now take charge of.
“We are grateful for the steady leadership Michael has shown through this period of managerial transition, and, while he is now stepping away from day-to-day involvement, he will always be welcome back as a legend of the club.”
As it stands, Ralf Rangnick will be in charge of the Premier League game against Crystal Palace on Sunday, December 5, 2021. The match will kick off at 15:00.
Thank you, Michael ❤️#MUFC pic.twitter.com/4dH94HA1O6
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 2, 2021
