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Michael Carrick has been compared to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer by some of his critics, who believe Manchester United should appoint another former player to take control of the team on a permanent basis.
In January, Michael Carrick was appointed Manchester United’s interim head coach. The 44-year-old replaced Ruben Amorim and instantly helped the Red Devils get their season on track with wins over Premier League title contenders Man City and Arsenal.
Like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was appointed interim manager in 2018 before an uplifting run that led to him getting the job, Carrick has been credited with improved results.
Champions League qualification could see Carrick given the job, with United currently sitting third in the Premier League with five games remaining.
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Getty Images Michael Carrick believes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer comparisons are irrelevant
Solskjaer’s biggest fault as United manager was not winning a trophy.
Carrick was part of the Norwegian’s setup, responsible for giving United fans a few good days out, but many factors went against them in the end.
Some critics believe Carrick is destined for the same fate – as a former player and associate of Solskjaer.
It’s a harsh take as Carrick has taken his own journey as a coach, and the team is very different now to what it was between 2018 and 2021.
When asked about the Solskjaer comparisons, Carrick described them as ‘irrelevant’ and stressed that he still has a lot of respect for the former United striker.
“I don’t think it’s disrespectful, I think I’ve got the utmost respect for him,” Carrick told reporters at his press conference.
“He’s a close friend of mine so I worked closely with him when he was here so I was quite attached to that and I thought we did a lot of good things really and we became close and in the end obviously it changed and it went a different direction, that’s football.
“I think comparisons, you could compare to all sorts of different situations and managers and coaches and teams over the years, it just depends on what you want to choose to compare.
“It’s irrelevant really, it really is, and that’s not a negative or a positive, it doesn’t really have any link at all I think, we’re a different team now, irrespective of me, who’s in charge, it’s a different time, so I don’t really think comparisons literally make any difference at all.”
Although Solskjaer missed out on the job in January, he will be wishing Carrick and his team nothing but the best.
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Getty Images Michael Carrick not afraid to lean on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for advice
When Carrick returned to United earlier this year, he made it clear that he had spoken to Solskjaer.
In doing so, Carrick made it clear that he is not afraid to seek advice from the former United manager.
“Yeah, I spoke to him,” Carrick said, as quoted by ESPN.
“I’m close, we’ve been through a lot together, so he’s been fully supportive as you’d expect.
“He’s some man and I respect him an awful lot, so, yeah, he wished us all the best and he was happy that we got the right result.”
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