For Michael Carrick, it is Mission Accomplished.
Parachuted in as “interim” Manchester United manager after Ruben Amorim was forced to walk the plank, the Old Trafford ownership had a simple demand of the former England midfielder.
Clinching a Champions League place – worth around £45million for United before kicking a ball – with three games to spare caps a remarkable turnaround under Carrick’s calm and assured hand.
Since Carrick was appointed in January, United have picked up 32 points, more than any other club in the top flight, with just two defeats in 14 matches and wins over Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and now Liverpool.
Yet United have been here before – giving the caretaker the job full-time after a few months of success and then regretting the decision in the months that followed.
The fear from some is that Carrick can be the next Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, a man capable of restoring balance and confidence in the short-term but who cannot take the next step forward and instead might stagnate once he is installed on a permanent basis.
But Carrick has played his hand brilliantly, no question. And it means the list of candidates who could be reasonably considered an alternative has been reduced.
No matter how well Andoni Iraola and Oliver Glasner – both available in the summer – have done at Bournemouth and Crystal Palace respectively, neither have had to cope with the same pressure of expectations that Carrick has taken in his stride.
Opting for either of them, now, will seem like MORE of a gamble than sticking with Carrick – and United may well reflect on Thomas Frank’s inability to transfer his Brentford success to Spurs as another glaring warning over taking a small-pond manager into the deeper waters of Old Trafford.
So, realistically, it would only make sense to jettison Carrick, who could have done no more than he has and will feel he can have a genuine title run next term, with a truly “world-class” manager.
Given that neither Pep Guardiola nor Jurgen Klopp could possibly consider United – for obvious reasons – that leaves five, arguably six contenders.
Four of them are otherwise engaged this summer – and none of them will risk the mistake that Julen Lopetegui made with Spain in 2018, when he revealed he was leaving the national team job to move to Real Madrid days before the tournament started – and ended up being booted before it did.
Yet if United are eyeing a candidate other than Carrick, they must be willing to make at least informal approaches, even if that seems a void until the start of July in making an announcement.
Luis Enrique
Enrique has managed the almost impossible at Paris Saint-Germain – getting rid of three global superstars, changing the culture and building the most exciting side in world football.
He knows about big-club pressure too, with two LaLiga crowns and the 2015 Champions League secured during his spell at Barcelona.
More critically, Enrique would bring the attacking ethos that is embedded in United’s DNA.
It is hard to imagine any player either at United now or on their potential summer wishlist who would not be energised and enthused by his coaching and leadership – plus the fact he can speak excellent English.
There is not a box he does not tick. Except that PSG will do EVERYTHING to ensure he stays in Paris and he appears to have agreed, if not yet signed, a contract extension to 2030.
Thomas Tuchel
Like Luis Enrique, it seems the German has golden handcuffs, in his case from the FA having agreed a new deal holding him to Wembley until 2028.
Then again, a quarter of a century ago an England contract did not prevent a previous United board making a deal with Sven Goran Eriksson, only for Sir Alex Ferguson to U-turn on his retirement plans when he heard the Swede was lined up as his successor.
Tuchel is a proven Premier League boss from his spell at Chelsea, when he won the Champions League.
He was even interviewed for the United job before Ruben Amorim got it but turned it down. And he was also a front-runner as Amorim’s replacement before he made his long-term FA commitment.
Nevertheless, it would be foolish for United to not put out feelers again just in case.
Carlo Ancelotti
Ancelotti is arguably the greatest man-manager in the game, the ultimate “horse whisperer” boss.
The Italian’s great skill is persuading the players to believe that they are in charge and able to make the big decisions, while ensuring they really listen when he puts them straight on the training ground and in the dressing room.
Ancelotti is the greatest Champions League manager – with five wins in total – and the only man to win the title in Italy, England, France, Spain and Germany.
But at 66, you wonder if Ancelotti would really want to swap the life of relative ease as an international boss with Brazil – he has already had intensive talks over a new four-year deal – with the ten months of grind that club football represents.
Even so, having won the Double in his first season at Chelsea – holding Sir Alex Ferguson’s United off in the run-in – nobody could argue that he is not an upgrade on Carrick, if he could be tempted.
Mauricio Pochettino
The former Spurs boss was being lined up for a return to N17 after his World Cup stint with the USA, only for the Tottenham relegation crisis to force the board’s hand and the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi.
England – more specifically London – remains the Argentine’s home base and he had never hidden his desire to return to the Prem.
Taking the Chelsea job showed Pochettino is not worried about the reaction of Spurs fans and he was sounded out by Fergie while he was in charge at Tottenham.
But as manager of the main World Cup hosts, there is no way Pochettino could allow even the idea of negotiations with United to emerge before or during the tournament.
Can you imagine what would happen if it did and the US struggled? The last thing he needs is to be on the end of a scathing Truth Social post from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Julian Nagelsmann
The Germany manager has flirted with Prem jobs in the past although his only managerial experience to date has been in his homeland, at Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and now Die Mannschaft.
Nagelsmann, at 38, is six years younger than Carrick but far more experienced as a manager.
His current Germany contract runs through to 2028 although there is understood to be a £6m “termination clause” that kicks in next summer.
German FA chiefs would doubtless enforce all that and more if United tried to come in this summer – although it would open the way for them to turn to Jurgen Klopp.
For now, though, Nagelsmann’s bigger concern is his current job, aiming to guide Germany through the opening round after back-to-back group stage exits in 2018 and 2022. And is he really a better bet than Carrick? That is unclear.
Diego Simeone
The wildcard choice – but nobody will beat the Argentine for pure machismo.
Diego Simeone is rumoured to be ready to quit Atletico Madrid virtually every summer and maybe, after 15 seasons at the helm, the chance of taking charge at a global club would be enough to persuade him to make the move.
Simeone’s current Atleti deal has just 12 months to run which makes him more than accessible if United fancy his character and determination.
While his earlier Atletico teams were all about defensive solidity he has become a more nuanced coach with a more attacking mindset in recent years. The fusion of those attributes might well fit the United blueprint too.
Whether his arrival at Old Trafford would go down well with old nemesis David Beckham is another matter entirely.
If United could get Luis Enrique, it would be hard to find a reason to turn that chance down. Otherwise, though, Carrick has earned the gig. He deserves the chance.
