Man Utd will be even happier with Michael Carrick appointment after what Omar Berrada saw at the World Cup

MANCHESTER UNITED chief executive Omar Berrada was in Boston to watch England’s only goalless game at the World Cup. With the tournament nearing its end, Berrada and United director of football Jason Wilcox will have no sense of regret. Tuchel cost England against Argentina Credit: Getty Nagelsmann: never in the running for United Credit: Richard Pelham The national team coaches linked with the United post have all failed. In the case of Julian Nagelsmann, Germany’s defeat to a pugnacious Paraguay was a reputation-shredder and he is jobless. Carlo Ancelotti, someone repeatedly touted for the United job since 2014 without the club ever having made concrete contact with him, flunked with Brazil. Sign up for the Man United newsletter Thank you! Ancelotti is one of the most garlanded coaches in the game but his reputation is buttressed by world-class players from back to front. His AC MIlan side in the mid-2000s had them. So did his Real Madrids in the 2010s and 2020s. The current Brazil side does not. Only Vinicius Junior and Gabriel Magalhães can be regarded as world-class and the latter was given a galling going-over by Erling Haaland. Thomas Tuchel was never a serious contender for United before the Football Association impressionably extended his contract by two years in February. Tuchel spoke with United two years ago, back when they sounded out every Tom, Dick and Harry about replacing Erik ten Hag before they lost their nerve. The England coach was unimpressed with the process and, even if United gave Michael Carrick a swerve, Tuchel did not fit the profile of coach. Mauricio Pochettino coveted the United job for a while but is barely worth mentioning, He underachieved with the United States, still without a quarter-final appearance since 2002. Most read in Sport Carrick’s fine four months – 12 wins from 17 games and only two defeats – made it a one-horse race. Curiously, in the days before confirmation of his two-year contract, some at United were still stressing that other candidates were not entirely ruled out. Supporters saw through that face-saving. The sensible length of Carrick’s two-year agreement is an admission from Ineos that, no, they did not originally plan on hiring him permanently but he has earned a fair crack of the whip. So let’s keep him on his toes on a shorter deal. The added pressure on Carrick comes from within these shores, rather than across the Atlantic. Punters will be keeping their eyes peeled on how Liverpool fare under Andoni Iraola and Xabi Alonso’s impact at Chelsea. Both of those coaches were gettable in May and their managerial records trump Carrick’s. Alonso ended Bayern Munich’s monopoly of the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen and guided them to the Europa League final. His reputation has barely been harmed by a fraught six months at Real Madrid Iraola did a magnificent and miraculous job at Bournemouth, lifting them up to 12th, then ninth and then seventh for a first-ever campaign in Europe. The Basque was the true manager of the year. He merited a plum role and has got it at Liverpool. It feels a good fit, though Liverpool require a more drastic rebuild than United this summer. The irony of United favouring recruits with Premier League experience is that Carrick had never managed in the Premier League before they appointed him. United were the only top flight club who would have. As cringing as the cliche is that someone “knows the club”, it aided Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and informed Carrick’s approach. Carrick’s challenge is to lift United to headier heights than when he assisted Solskjaer during a modest three years. Carrick was back at work last week Credit: Eamonn & James Clarke United have won 12 from 17 under Carrick Credit: Alamy It was entirely understandable that United ignored innumerable coaches with Premier League cachet in favour of a man who has been in the building since January. United admired Iraola and senior figures regarded him as one of a handful of Premier League managers worthy of succeeding Ruben Amorim. Oliver Glasner was another one but he was out of the running before Carrick hit the ground running at United. Glasner is entitled to wonder how, after presiding over a golden era at Crystal Palace, he has wound up as Evangelos Marinakis’ latest prey at Nottingham Forest. United finished a whopping 11 points clear of then-champions Liverpool last season and 19 better off than 10th-placed Chelsea. With the charmless Arne Slot long gone and Chelsea’s schedule devoid of European football, United have their work cut out to keep those two rivals at arm’s length. Roberto de Zerbi never deserved to be linked to the United post after his sacking by Marseille but he was. His presence has already seen Tottenham gazump United for Mateus Fernandes. De Zerbi was of interest to United towards the end of the 2023-24 season. It is improbable that Tottenham will slump to another bottom-four finish with him cracking the whip Carrick has to ensure United get closer to the Premier League summit and make them a competitive force back in the Champions League. Iraola worked wonders at Bournemouth Credit: Getty Images Alonso started at Chelsea last week Credit: Getty They have been a waste of space in that competition in recent times. United’s last three campaigns ended twice at the group stage and once in the round-of-16. Carrick was in the dugout with Solskjaer for one of those group stage ejections. He cannot give Berrada cause to regret. Comment now