Ole Gunnar Solskjaer vs. Michael Carrick: Clear favourite for Man United job 'emerges' ahead of Manchester derby

Michael Carrick is reportedly the favourite to be named Manchester United's new interim head coach, with the 44-year-old overtaking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the race for the position.

At the end of last week, Solskjaer had been regarded as the clear favourite for the role, with Man United looking to appoint an interim head coach for the remainder of the campaign following the removal of Ruben Amorim.

However, according to BBC Sport, Carrick is now in pole position, with an appointment expected to be confirmed by the time that the players return to training on Wednesday.

Darren Fletcher has taken charge of two matches for Man United since Amorim's exit - a 2-2 draw with Burnley in the Premier League and a 2-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion in the third round of the FA Cup.

The 20-time English champions now only have the league to focus on for the remainder of the campaign, and the team are currently seventh in the Premier League table, three points behind fourth-placed Liverpool with 17 games left.

Carrick 'the favourite' for Man United position

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has also said that Carrick has moved into pole position.

“In the last 12 hours, Michael Carrick has made important progress in talks with Manchester United after a face-to-face interview,” Romano said on his YouTube channel.

“The meeting between Manchester United management and Michael Carrick was very positive in terms of ideas, tactics, communication and intention. The feeling was really good, and as of tonight, Carrick is becoming the leading option for the interim job.”

Man United will continue their Premier League season at home to Manchester City on Saturday, before finishing the month away to Arsenal, so it will be a very tough start for whichever candidate is chosen to lead the team.

How has Carrick performed during his managerial career?

Carrick was named Man United's caretaker manager in November 2021 following Solskjaer's exit, and the club's former midfielder oversaw three matches, posting two wins and one defeat.

The Englishman would then go on to manage Middlesbrough between October 2022 and June 2025, taking charge of 136 matches, boasting a record of 63 wins, 24 defeats and 49 matches.

Carrick guided Boro to fourth in the Championship in 2022-23, with the team losing in the semi-finals of the playoffs, while he managed to lead Middlesbrough to the semi-finals of the EFL Cup in his second season at the Riverside Stadium.

The former midfielder signed a three-year contract with Middlesbrough in June 2024 but was sacked one year later following a 10th-placed finish in the Championship.