Amad Diallo believes Manchester United already have their next long-term manager – and he’s standing in the dugout.
Michael Carrick, appointed only until the end of the season in January, has dragged United up to third in the Premier League and put them in control of the race for a Champions League return. A campaign that looked rudderless after Ruben Amorim’s sacking now has a clear direction, and inside the dressing room the message is just as clear: the players want Carrick to stay.
“He’s the right man”
Speaking at United’s training camp in Dublin, Amad did not hesitate when asked about Carrick’s impact.
“Obviously it’s not for us as a player to decide, but he’s been very great, he’s been doing so much for the team,” Amad said. “He has a lot of experience, he knows the club and has the DNA. We think he’s the right man. We are really happy for what he is doing right now.”
That phrase – “he knows the club and has the DNA” – matters at Old Trafford. Carrick’s years as a United captain and midfield metronome have given him an authority that goes beyond his job title. Players talk about clarity, about standards, about a manager who understands what success at United is supposed to look like.
Since stepping in after Amorim’s dismissal at the start of the year, Carrick has not only steadied the ship, he has altered its course. Third place, renewed belief, a clear target.
Clear demands, clear target
“Since he’s arrived he’s been clear to everyone that he wants to win, he wants to reach the Champions League next season,” Amad continued. “He’s been working with each player so he’s doing very well and we are really happy to have him as a manager.
“Sometimes this kind of manager can bring the club where they belong. From a personal view he’s the right man but it’s not the players who decide.”
That last line is the reality check. United’s hierarchy chose to appoint Carrick only until the end of the season to buy time, to scan the market, to weigh every option after Amorim. Carrick was supposed to be a bridge.
His players are doing their best to turn him into the destination.
Dressing-room backing grows
Bryan Mbeumo echoed Amad’s praise, underlining how Carrick’s presence and personality have landed with the squad.
“We’ve got good experience with him, playing under him as well. It’s not for us to decide but we going to try to take as much as we can from him,” Mbeumo said.
“He knows the journey of the club, he knows how to talk to us as well, I think it’s been easier because he know the place so he has been great to work with.
“I think the club will decide at the end of the season, but my honest opinion is we’re really happy to have Michael Carrick as a manager and he’s doing well.”
The pattern is unmistakable: a manager who “knows the journey of the club”, who “knows how to talk” to his players, who has “been clear to everyone that he wants to win”. These are not throwaway compliments. They are the building blocks of a case for permanence.
United wanted time to think. Carrick has used that same time to build a compelling argument on the pitch and in the dressing room. Now the club’s decision-makers must decide whether to match the conviction of the players who believe they’ve already found “the right man”.
