Michael Carrick faces first test as Manchester United boss in Manchester derby showdown
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Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick will take charge of his first match against Manchester City in their English Premier League Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Jan 17.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – Michael Carrick will step into the dugout as Manchester United’s interim manager in an English Premier League Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Jan 17, tasked with steadying a side that have stumbled through another bleak winter.
The Red Devils are seventh in the table with one win in their last six league matches and the FA Cup exit at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion on Jan 11
His first challenge? Attempt to outwit Pep Guardiola, whose Manchester City team are six points behind Arsenal and second in the league table after three consecutive draws.
On taking the job, Carrick told reporters: “It’s fantastic to be here and it’s great for me to be in this position. As well as that, I’m eager to succeed, it’s a big and important job.
“Like I said, we want to be near the top. But we have to take some small steps towards that, and European football would a step towards that.
“They’re (external noise from former United players) not putting more pressure on me. I don’t feel that. There are plenty of opinions around, some positive, some not too much. It’s totally irrelevant... I know what we want to improve on, how we want to work with the players.”
There are reasons for optimism at United. Harry Maguire is back fit, and Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo return from Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) duty, adding depth to a squad that has looked threadbare.
Before a daunting trip to Arsenal on Jan 25, former United and England midfielder Carrick has the chance to galvanise a season at risk of coming completely off the rails.
He was unbeaten in a previous three-match interim spell at United after the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2021. Since then, he has gained far more managerial experience at second-tier Middlesbrough, but was sacked in June for failing to achieve promotion to the Premier League.
Carrick was also asked what would represent success during his interim stint.
“I think improvement. Helping individuals is a big part of what I enjoy,” he said.
“I think if you improve the individuals, then you create a better team and results. There is an element of performance, an element of improvement and doing what it takes to win in certain ways. We want to keep pushing and finish as high as we can.”
City arrive with their own narrative twist with January signing Antoine Semenyo stealing the headlines as he injects a dose of unpredictability into a well-oiled machine. With two goals in as many matches, the Ghanaian already has his own chant from the Etihad Stadium faithful.
While City’s three draws cost them precious points in the title race, their recent form suggests they are rediscovering their ruthless edge, with a 10-1 FA Cup demolition of League One side Exeter City and a 2-0 win over Newcastle United in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final
On United’s managerial changes, Guardiola said: “Results, results. If you don’t win, you will be sacked. If we don’t win, I would be sacked. There is no other secret.
“It is what it is, I can’t control what United have done. I don’t know what happened because I am not there.
“When you have more info on a manager, you can give more info to the players. When you don’t have info, you focus on yourself. (But) we have some info on his (Carrick’s) first time at United.”
The City boss is also counting on Omar Marmoush’s return from Afcon to shoulder some of the attacking load for an “exhausted” Erling Haaland. Marmoush’s Egypt lost 1-0 to Senegal in the semi-finals, but City will have to wait until after their third-place play-off against Nigeria on Jan 17 for the forward’s return.
Haaland, who once again tops the Premier League scoring charts with 20 goals, played the full match against Newcastle, including 10 minutes of injury time, but he has not scored from open play since City’s 3-0 win over West Ham United on Dec 20
Meanwhile, City have agreed a deal in principle to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, reports said, while Eagles boss Oliver Glasner also confirmed he will leave after his contract expires at the end of the season.
Defender Guehi, 25, was close to joining Liverpool on transfer deadline day in September before the move collapsed. Sky Sports said his move to City was in the final stages, while Guardiola stressed that he had “nothing to say” regarding the transfer. REUTERS, AFP
