Ronaldo makes a surprising prediction about the next Man Utd manager

Michael Carrick is expected to take over as Man Utd’s interim manager, which moves Ronaldo’s previous forecast one step closer to coming true.

Michael Carrick is said to have surpassed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the race for the interim manager role at Man Utd, with both candidates having interviewed with the club’s leadership late last week.

The former England international served as an assistant coach at Old Trafford from July 2018 to December 2021. Shortly after Solskjaer was dismissed, Carrick took charge of Man Utd for three matches: a 2-0 win at Villarreal in the Champions League, a 1-1 draw at Chelsea in the Premier League, and a 3-2 home victory against Arsenal. He then stepped down to allow Ralf Rangnick to take over.

During that period, Cristiano Ronaldo scored three goals and paid tribute to his former teammate when Carrick left. “Michael Carrick is a top-class player and he also has the potential to become an excellent coach,” the Portuguese superstar wrote on social media. “Nothing is impossible for this man. Personally, I am very proud to have played alongside him and to have had him on our coaching bench.”

Now, Carrick is about to get a chance to prove Ronaldo right. To do so, the former 34-cap England player must show that the doubters were mistaken.

In November 2022, Carrick was appointed head coach of Middlesbrough. The 44-year-old guided the team to a play-off position in his first season but was dismissed last June after failing to secure promotion in the following two campaigns.

Carrick still had two years left on his Middlesbrough contract, but finishing 10th overall was not enough to satisfy the club’s management. His coaching staff included his brother Graeme Carrick and former Boro player Jonathan Woodgate.

If Man Utd decides to appoint Carrick as interim manager, his debut will be the Manchester derby when the Red Devils host their archrivals Man City this weekend. Afterwards, Man Utd will visit the league leaders Arsenal.

Man Utd is currently managed by U18 coach Darren Fletcher, also Carrick’s former teammate, for the last two matches following Ruben Amorim’s sacking. Fletcher began with a 2-2 draw at Burnley midweek.

Recently, Man Utd was eliminated from the FA Cup after a 1-2 loss to Brighton at Old Trafford. This means Carrick’s task, if appointed, will be to achieve the highest possible Premier League position, as emphasized in Man Utd’s announcement of Amorim’s dismissal..