Michael Carrick: From Uncertainty to Authority at Manchester United
Paul Pogba has seen enough. From a distance now, but with the eye of someone who knows exactly how turbulent life at Manchester United can be, the former midfielder has delivered a clear verdict on the club’s decision to hand Michael Carrick the reins on a permanent basis: they’ve got this one right.
From uncertainty to authority
The 2025/26 campaign did not begin like a season that would end in optimism. Under Ruben Amorim, United drifted. Performances swung between erratic and unconvincing, and the return to the Champions League after a two-year exile felt a long way off.
That changed the moment Carrick stepped out of the shadows.
Initially appointed on an interim basis at the start of the year, the former United captain and long-serving midfielder walked into the technical area and, almost instantly, the mood shifted. Results followed. In 17 Premier League games, Carrick stitched together 12 wins, three draws and only two defeats, dragging United up the table and into third place.
The numbers tell one story. The style tells another.
Carrick pushed United onto the front foot. His side played higher, pressed with intent and attacked with a freedom that had been missing for years. The approach struck a chord in the stands and in the dressing room. Old Trafford, so often gripped by frustration in recent seasons, began to sound like itself again.
United’s hierarchy kept insisting they would not be rushed, that this would not be another emotional, short-term call. They spoke about “processes” and “options” and “due diligence”. But as the weeks passed and the wins kept coming, the reality was obvious: the job was Carrick’s to lose. Last month, the club finally removed any doubt and confirmed him as permanent manager.
Pogba backs Carrick’s rise
From afar, Pogba watched his former team rediscover some swagger under a man he knows well. Speaking to Sky Sports, the 233‑appearance United midfielder didn’t dress his words up.
“I think he’s doing a great job and he did it also at the time when he was the assistant of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer,” Pogba said, pointing back to Carrick’s earlier influence behind the scenes.
“He’s a great guy, he has experience, he was a great player, and he has a very good connection with the players, you could see it when he took the team.”
Those lines cut to the heart of why Carrick’s appointment has gone down so well. He is not just a club legend rolled out for sentiment. He is a modern coach with a clear idea, but one who also understands the particular demands of wearing United red. The connection Pogba mentions is not a throwaway compliment; it has been visible in the way previously underperforming players have responded to him.
Pogba added: “I think it’s going to be good for United. I wish them the best, obviously, for him and all the staff and the players.”
For a player whose own United career veered between brilliance and frustration, that endorsement carries weight. Pogba has worked under a string of elite managers. He knows the difference between a caretaker and a leader.
A new chapter, with old standards
Carrick’s challenge now is brutally simple: turn a surge of form into a standard. Third place and a Champions League return have bought him credit and time, but not immunity. Expectations at United do not soften for long.
The optimism around the club is real. Supporters can see a structure, an identity, something to cling to beyond individual moments. The talk inside Old Trafford has already turned to what a strong summer transfer window might unlock under a manager who has already proved he can organise and energise this group.
Pogba, once the symbol of a confused era, now finds himself looking on as a former team-mate tries to restore clarity and direction. The Frenchman’s message is simple: Carrick has the tools, the respect and the momentum.
United have placed their bet on one of their own. The question now is not whether Michael Carrick deserves the job.
It’s how far he can take them.
