Manchester United find themselves facing a familiar crossroads as the club debates whether to hand Michael Carrick the permanent head‑coach role. The situation bears an uncanny resemblance to the path Ole Gunnar Solskjær travelled on his way to a full‑time appointment. Since stepping in for Rúben Amorim in mid‑January, Carrick’s results have been impressive, yet questions about his long‑term suitability persist, many of which stem from direct comparisons with Solskjær, who also steadied the ship after a turbulent spell under a Portuguese manager. Carrick has publicly dismissed the Solskjær parallels as "irrelevant", but such statements are unlikely to silence a narrative that has already taken hold among fans and pundits.
The key question remains: is the comparison fair? Solskjær oversaw 13 Premier League fixtures before being granted the permanent job in 2019, having initially arrived from Molde as a caretaker. Carrick has now matched that tally, giving us a clean basis for a side‑by‑side assessment of their interim tenures.
When it comes to points accrued, Solskjær holds a modest advantage, collecting 32 out of a possible 39 points – three more than Carrick’s haul after the same number of games. His side also found the net 29 times, five more than United have under Carrick, while conceding three fewer goals. However, Solskjær’s points total was built, in part, on matches against the three clubs that ultimately finished in the relegation zone, and only four of his fixtures were against teams that ended the 2018/19 campaign in the top half of the table. By contrast, Carrick’s United have faced seven opponents that were positioned tenth or higher at the start of each weekend, with just a single opponent currently languishing in the relegation zone.
Solskjær’s most notable league triumph came in a 1‑0 away win at Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham, who finished fourth that season. Marcus Rashford’s clinical finish, set up by a perfectly timed ball over the top from Paul Pogba, proved decisive, while David De Gea’s heroics kept a clean sheet. In Carrick’s first two league games, he already eclipsed Solskjær’s biggest result by guiding United to back‑to‑back victories over the two most formidable English sides – Manchester City and Arsenal.
Those wins not only showcased United’s capacity to compete with the elite but also reinforced Carrick’s reputation for organizing effective counter‑attacking football. Carrick’s side also secured a win over Aston Villa, a club that is on course to claim a Champions League berth, thereby cementing United’s grip on third place in the table. When Carrick argued that every manager works under a unique set of circumstances, he was right.
Solskjær had to juggle both the Champions League and the FA Cup, whereas Carrick has benefited from mid‑week breaks between league fixtures – at one point United enjoyed a 24‑day hiatus. If we broaden the scope to include cup competitions, Solskjær does have some marquee victories to his name, notably a dramatic FA Cup win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and the legendary Champions League last‑16 comeback against Paris Saint‑Germain. In total, Solskjær oversaw 19 matches in 86 days, while Carrick has managed 13 games over a longer 101‑day period. It is also essential to consider the player pools each interim had at their disposal.
To illustrate the contrast, we have compiled the preferred starting XI for both managers based on the line‑ups they selected for the most high‑profile fixtures within their respective 13‑match windows. Readers can weigh in on which XI appears stronger via the poll below. Other notable players available to Solskjær during his stint included Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling, Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sánchez, Juan Mata, Fred and Scott McTominay.
Carrick, on the other hand, could call upon talents such as Noussair Mazraoui, Patrick Dorgu, Mason Mount, Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven, Manuel Ugarte, Benjamin Šeško and Joshua Zirkzee. From a purely league‑position perspective, Solskjær ranks among United’s most successful post‑Ferguson appointments, yet his legacy is clouded by criticism of his teams’ style of play.
United under Solskjær often relied on moments of individual brilliance rather than a cohesive tactical identity, limiting their ability to challenge for the biggest trophies. Carrick’s most impressive outings have similarly come against possession‑dominant opponents, allowing his side to exploit counter‑attacking opportunities – a pattern evident in the wins over City and Arsenal. This similarity has fueled the narrative that Carrick may be a repeat of Solskjær, a notion not entirely surprising given his former role as Solskjær’s assistant.
A statistical comparison of their first 13 league games highlights clear parallels: Carrick’s United register more fast‑breaks per match, likely aided by the tougher fixture list, while the biggest divergence lies in headed goals, a reflection of United’s current proficiency from set‑pieces – they rank among the Premier League’s most effective dead‑ball teams behind Arsenal. Understanding the context each manager inherited is also crucial.
While both Rúben Amorim and José Mourinho share Portuguese nationality, their relationships with the squad differed markedly. Mourinho left a toxic atmosphere, famously staying at the luxurious Lowry Hotel throughout his tenure and engaging in a public spat with Paul Pogba that fractured the dressing room.
Solskjær stepped into that quagmire and was tasked with restoring positivity. Amorim’s exit was dramatic; he publicly challenged director of football Jason Wilcox in a press conference before being dismissed. Nevertheless, his issues were largely confined to the hierarchy rather than the playing group, and United’s form under Amorim improved in his final eight games, losing only once and winning three. In contrast, Mourinho’s final eight matches yielded three defeats, including a 3‑1 loss to Liverpool at Anfield that precipitated his sacking.
One tactical criticism of Amorim centred on his puzzling reversion to a back three after a back four had delivered better results. Carrick, meanwhile, has reverted to a back four, a move that appears to have lifted both morale and performance. Both interim managers were essentially handed an open goal: Solskjær needed to inject optimism into a squad mired in Mourinho’s negativity, while Carrick’s primary task was to restore a stable back‑four formation. Solskjær can argue he dealt with larger egos and a squad that eventually turned on him, whereas Carrick has endured constant comparisons to his former boss.
Ultimately, the debate hinges on which interim audition better positioned United for sustained success after 13 Premier League games. We invite readers to cast their vote on which United interim has delivered the stronger audition after 13 league fixtures.