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Sir Alex Ferguson has already offered Michael Carrick advice before Man United move
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- Sir Alex Ferguson has already offered Michael Carrick advice before Man United move
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Sir Alex Ferguson is expected to back Michael Carrick from the stands if he steps in as interim head coach, continuing the club's recent trend of turning to familiar faces.
The move comes after Darren Fletcher 's short spell in charge, with both men having deep roots at Old Trafford. Carrick and Fletcher have a long history together at United, where they spent more than 25 years between them as players.
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Carrick is keen to bring Fletcher into his coaching setup if he takes over, and there are already signs the pair could work well together. Fletcher received Ferguson's approval before taking on the interim role, while Carrick has previously spoken about advice he's received from the legendary manager.
What Sir Alex Ferguson told Michael Carrick about becoming a manager
Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images
Carrick's new role would be his second as United's interim head coach, having previously stepped in after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's dismissal back in 2021.
After leaving United, Carrick took over at Middlesbrough and spoke openly about staying in touch with Ferguson and the guidance he received.
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"I spoke to Sir Alex a few times. I've spoken to him more since I stopped playing – I didn't want to get too close to him when I was a player," Carrick said.
"I spoke to him a lot. It's well documented that he has a real pride and a care about ex-players progressing and being coaches, managers and takes real pride and care in helping them as well. He's certainly done that to me, and I really appreciate the advice he's given me. "I thought I knew football until I got to United, but it completely changed my perspective on how to live, play, and win – all of it came from the boss.
"He was such a big influence on my career. He made me better both as a player and as a person in so many ways. I've got so much respect for him."
Michael Carrick's approach to management is different from Sir Alex Ferguson's
Bruno Fernandes , the club captain, was impressed with Carrick's coaching during his first spell in 2021. And Cristiano Ronaldo has also spoken up in support of Carrick as he prepares to take over.
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Carrick's experience managing Middlesbrough has been valuable, and he recognises that his style doesn't match Ferguson's.
"Do I look like an angry Scotsman?" Carrick joked. "Listen, you've got to be your own person to a point. Society and social circles are very different now to what they were some time ago.
"I'm well aware of that and I think you've got to treat the individuals all differently to a point and get the best out of them individually – which he did, by the way, in different ways, so I learned a lot from that.
"But again, I've got to trust my instincts and not try to copy too much. I'm my own person and I'm comfortable with that."
