Michael Carrick rescued Manchester United’s 2025/26 season, taking charge in January and collecting 36 points to drag the club from 7th to 3rd. That run earned him a permanent deal and a return to the Champions League. Four games into 2026/27, United sit 13th, and the early promise already looks fragile.
How it started
Carrick walked into a crisis. United sacked Ruben Amorim on January 6, 2026 after a bruising 14 month reign, and the squad sat 7th with the season drifting. The club legend took the reins on an interim basis, and few expected much beyond damage control.
His first game answered plenty. Carrick sent United out for the Manchester derby and won 2-0, a result that changed the mood at Old Trafford overnight. By the end of January he was named Premier League Manager of the Month.
- Points collected under Carrick in 2025/26: 36
The Carrick effect
The turnaround was total. United beat Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool during his interim spell, winning 11 of his 16 matches and losing only twice. No club in the division picked up more points across that stretch.
The reward was a third place finish and Champions League qualification, the club’s first return to Europe’s top competition since 2024. On May 22, 2026 United handed Carrick a permanent deal, and he made the shortlist for Premier League Manager of the Season.
Carrick’s appeal ran deeper than results. He spent 12 years at Old Trafford as a player, understands the club from the inside, and handles the media glare with a calm that Amorim never found.
- Manchester United appearances as a player: 464
The summer rebuild
Carrick spent his first full window fixing the midfield. Casemiro left, and United brought in Andrey Santos from Chelsea, Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa and Carlos Baleba from Brighton for roughly £70 million. Karl Darlow arrived as a free backup goalkeeper, and Marcus Rashford returned from his loan at Barcelona.
The recruitment drew criticism. United added no marquee striker despite obvious gaps in the attack, and Carrick himself admitted before deadline day that the club still needed more bodies. Restlessness grew among a fan base that expected bolder moves for a side about to juggle Champions League nights.
The reality check
The 2026/27 start has exposed those gaps fast. United lost 0-2 at newly promoted Hull City on the opening day, then thrashed Ipswich Town 5-2 at home thanks to a Bruno Fernandes hat trick. A 2-2 draw at Everton followed, and then the derby bit back.
Manchester City won 1-0 at Old Trafford on September 13, the same fixture that launched Carrick’s reign in January now turning against him. Three days later Brighton dumped United out of the Carabao Cup with a 2-3 win on home soil.
The Champions League return offered one bright spot, a 4-0 win over Sabah FK. Everywhere else, the signs point to a team still short of consistency.
- Premier League points from the first four games of 2026/27: 4
What it means going forward
The honest answer is that it is too early to judge. United were handed one of the softest opening runs in the division, and a single derby result does not erase five months of progress. Fulham away comes next, and the table can look very different by November.
The deeper worry is structure. United played only 40 games last season with no European football, and the Champions League now piles fixtures onto a squad that looks thin beyond the first eleven. Fernandes is carrying the creative load almost alone, and the striker question never got answered.
So is Carrick the man for the situation? His interim run was real, earned and richly deserved. The full season test is a different beast, and it is only just beginning. US fans can follow every twist on Peacock, and the next two months will tell us far more than the last two weeks.
FAQ
When did Michael Carrick become Manchester United manager?
Carrick took interim charge on January 13, 2026 after Ruben Amorim was sacked, then signed a permanent deal on May 22, 2026.
How did Manchester United do under Carrick last season?
He led United from 7th to 3rd in the Premier League, securing Champions League qualification with 36 points from his 16 games in charge.
Who did Manchester United sign in summer 2026?
United rebuilt the midfield with Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba, added goalkeeper Karl Darlow, and welcomed back Marcus Rashford from his Barcelona loan.
Where can I watch Manchester United in the US?
Premier League games stream on Peacock, while Champions League nights are on Paramount+.
Manchester United
Bruno Fernandes
Bryan Mbeumo
Marcus Rashford
Youri Tielemans