Michael Carrick is Man Utd’s best candidate for the permanent job

Michael Carrick has overseen six wins in seven matches and remains unbeaten. Combined with his caretaker spell in 2021, that gives him the joint-best record from a manager’s first nine Premier League games, level with Ange Postecoglou. The run has lifted United from sixth to third, leapfrogging Chelsea, Liverpool and Aston Villa and opening a six-point cushion to sixth place.

Still, the club will remember the downward slides that followed bright starts under managers such as Postecoglou and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, so the decision over a permanent appointment carries weight. There are reasons for caution. United have produced unconvincing displays at times — allowing chances to Fulham, needing late goals and penalties, and relying on substitutes such as Benjamin Sesko and a pair of long-range strikes to win big games.

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