Manchester United have ruled out appointing Darren Fletcher as caretaker manager after the FA Cup defeat to Brighton ensured the club will go one other season with no trophy.
Already out of the title race and the Carabao Cup, a United team who didn’t qualify for Europe had their last probability of silverware ended as they suffered an early exit within the FA Cup.
Brajan Gruda gave Brighton the lead after just 12 minutes and former United striker Danny Welbeck’s second-half goal meant Benjamin Sesko’s late header was merely a consolation.
A 3rd-round FA Cup exit and a second-round Carabao Cup defeat – to League Two side Grimsby Town, no less – means United exited each domestic cup competitions on the earliest possible stage for the primary time since 1981-82.
Two technically first-round cup exits and the absence of any European competition also means United are set to play the fewest numbers of games this season in over 100 years.
A disappointing 2-1 defeat to Brighton did little to spice up Fletcher’s hopes of becoming United’s caretaker manager until the top of the season, when Old Trafford bosses will appoint Ruben Amorim’s everlasting substitute.
Fletcher, a United legend who won five league titles under Sir Alex Ferguson, was placed in interim charge of the side after Amorim’s sacking last week.
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The 41-year-old was naturally considered for the caretaker job but could only draw to relegation-battlers Burnley in his other game in charge.
Those two underwhelming performances have seemingly convinced Manchester United to look elsewhere for a short-term boss, with Fabrizio Romano claiming Fletcher is not any longer on the running.
Fletcher will due to this fact shortly return to his role with the U18 side and appears set at hand over the reins to his former teammate Michael Carrick.
Carrick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer each held talks with the United hierarchy last week and ex-manager Solskjaer was initially believed to be the favourite for the job.
But no final decision was made and Manchester United, based on The Sun, were ‘miffed’ on the noise and confidence surrounding Solskjaer’s return.
United finished second within the Premier League under the club legend but Solskjaer looked drained and miserable by the point he lost his job in 2021.
It took almost 4 years for the previous Norway international to return to management and that return didn’t go well as he arrived and departed Besiktas within the space of seven months.
Talks with Solskjaer are said to have gone well but not anywhere near in addition to those with Carrick, who impressed the United decision-makers along with his communication, methods and plans for the remaining of the season.
Because of this Carrick, among the best English midfielders of his generation, has grow to be the clear favourite for the Old Trafford gig.
Carrick was briefly United’s caretaker boss after Jose Mourinho was sacked in 2018 and had one other spell in charge after Solskjaer’s sacking in 2021, having been a part of his coaching staff for the previous three years.
The 44-year-old’s only managerial stint away from Old Trafford got here at Middlesbrough and earned Carrick rave reviews before he was let go last summer.
Manchester United are planning to call their caretaker boss this week ahead of an enormous local derby against Manchester City on Saturday.
Amorim’s long-term substitute will then be appointed in the summertime, with Thomas Tuchel and Oliver Glasner believed to be two of the early leading contenders.
United are in no rush to make a final decision, nevertheless, and have also placed legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti on their shortlist to interchange Amorim.
Amorim arrived within the Premier League with a robust fame and a title winner in Portugal but only lasted 14 months within the job.
While results on the pitch had been mixed for well over a yr, the ultimate straw for the Manchester United board was a bust-up with director of football Jason Wilcox.
Many United fans appear excited on the prospect of Carrick taking on and club legend Gary Pallister has also endorsed the ex-England star’s return.
‘Michael Carrick’s first season at Middlesbrough, I saw a few of the most effective football I’ve ever seen there,’ Pallister told Metro on behalf of Hard Rock Bet.
‘He’s learned quite a bit since then. The brand of football we played under Michael in his first season was terrific. He’s got more ideas.
‘Ole, Michael and Darren Fletcher all understand Manchester United. They’re steeped within the history and understand the club and what the fans demand.
‘It’s all the time difficult going back to a manager. But I do know Ole would love to return. Ole probably felt he was still doing an honest job when he lost it.
‘I wouldn’t be opposed giving those three [Ole, Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher] the remaining of the season and see what may very well be done.’
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