Sports Poets Society

TOM JENKINS/THE GUARDIAN Michael Carrick has started with  wins  over the league’s top two sides There is no special trick to interim manager’s instant positive impact, writes David Hytner, just a commitment to sound and sensible thinking Carrick has pushed savvy backroom appointments including coach Steve Holland 27 Jan 2026 - The Guardian David Hytner What must Ruben Amorim make of it? Maybe that 3-4-2-1 might not be the answer for this Manchester United team? Perish the thought. The club’s recently sacked manager was clear that not even the pope would make him change – presumably because Leo XIV is also a big fan of three centre-halves. Saying that, Amorim did come close to losing his religion towards the bitter end, however brief and unconvincing his dalliance with a back four was. He reverted to a three for his final game at Leeds in early January. As the dust settles on Michael Carrick ’s second thrilling win as the United interim manager in two matches, the last-gasp t...

24 Jan 2026 - THE GUARDIAN / Sport Jonathan Wilson The problem Manchester United have – after 13 years and seven managers of failure – is that for whatever action they take now, there is a bad precedent. Keep Michael Carrick on, and it’s just another Ole Gunnar Solskjaer situation. But replace him and, for almost whoever they appoint – be it a Premier League veteran, foreign maestro, renowned pasthis-best winner, Red Bull-adjacent gegenpresser, austere Dutchman or Portuguese ideologue – they have done it before and it hasn’t worked. It’s almost like the biggest problem at the club isn’t the manager. Carrick’s start was undeniably impressive. There was pace and zip and creativity. The relief of players being released from the 3-4-2-1 was akin to one of those videos of cows being allowed back into the pasture after being kept in a barn over the winter. Who could possibly have predicted that Amad Diallo would excel as a right-sided forward, or that Bruno Fernandes might thrive as a No...

14 Jan 2026 - The Guardian Michael Butler From his debut to his first spell as interim manager, the former midfielder has seen a lot at Old Trafford since 2006 Competitive United debut 23 August 2006, Charlton 0 Man Utd 3 The 25-year-old new signing was eased into United’s midfield as a second-half substitute in the second game of the season, having picked up a small injury on the pre-season tour. With Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes suspended, Sir Alex Ferguson started with John O’Shea and Darren Fletcher in central midfield, with the Scot (sporting a mullet) opening the scoring after Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo had hit the woodwork. Carrick was one of four future United managers in the side, alongside Fletcher, Giggs and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer , who rounded off the win with a late goal after Louis Saha had doubled United’s lead. Solskjaer’s goal was his first in the league in three injury-hit years, and the Norwegian, also a substitute, should have had another when Carrick squar...