Michael Carrick and his coaching staff are getting deserved praise after back-to-back wins over Premier League title contenders Man City and Arsenal.
It has been the perfect start for Michael Carrick since he returned to Manchester United as head coach.
The 44-year-old took charge of United’s first team for the remainder of the season to secure qualification for the Champions League.
Conversations are already taking place over whether Carrick could land the head coach role permanently. To make a case for himself, he needs to ensure the team keep delivering positive results.
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United take on Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday and must win to climb back into the top four following Chelsea’s 3-2 win over West Ham.
A win over Fulham would see the Red Devils win three consecutive matches for the first time since October, when Ruben Amorim enjoyed his longest winning run as United head coach, after taking charge of 47 games.
Photo by Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty ImagesMichael Carrick hails his backroom staff at Man Utd
When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was manager with Carrick part of his coaching staff, the Norwegian was always adamant that it was a giant effort.
Carrick took the same approach when asked about the changes made in training since he returned to United.
His coaching staff consists of Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate, Jonny Evans, Travis Binnion and Craig Mawson.
The newly appointed head coach was clear about their role on the training ground when preparing for each match, with Fulham coming to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
“Yeah, I mean, some ways it’s difficult to say, you know,” Carrick told reporters.
“We’ve just kind of done the work that we’ve believed in and it’s been two weeks and it’s been largely a kind of fresh staff that in some ways are still getting to know each other as well, so I think a lot of credit goes to the staff for that and to be able to put things and then service the players.
“Ultimately, we’re there to service the players and try and help them, and enhance them, and give them the confidence. And it’s two games, you know, we’re not sitting in there all pats on the back thinking everything’s great, you know.
“We’ve done some good things, the players have done some fantastic things and trying to work with them, you know, individually, collectively and trying to get on a personal side, on a social side, on a professional side.
“And at the end of the day, we’re there to try and get the best out of them, you know, and we’ll continue to try to do that.”
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Michael Carrick building relationships at Man Utd
Team morale is at its highest it has been all season at Old Trafford.
United need to carry on winning football matches if they want to compete for the Champions League spots.
When asked about the social side of coaching and the importance of building relationships in the squad, Carrick added: “I was chatting yesterday, I think it feels that it’s been a lot longer than the two weeks in a real positive way, the fact that it feels really settled.
“I think it’s certainly not comfortable and taking it easy, but it feels really settled in terms of knowing the roles. I think the players have got to know us quite quickly and understand what we would like from them and expect from them and they’ve responded fantastically well.
“So, I think there’s really good relationships, you know, and understanding, which so soon is really positive. But certainly, you need to keep pushing and building on that.”
Carrick could win over support in the dressing room if he can make a case for the job beyond this season.
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