Man Utd: Shock Carrick admission on being manager revealed as ‘explosion’ with ‘fed up’ star imminent

Lewis Oldham

13 Oct 2026 11:10 AM

Michael Carrick is under pressure at Man Utd.

It has been claimed that Michael Carrick admitted that management is “not” for him before he returned to Manchester United last season.

After having a spell as Middlesbrough manager, Carrick returned to the role at the start of this year, becoming Man Utd’s interim boss to replace Ruben Amorim.

INEOS chose Carrick over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to steady the ship until the summer, but he surpassed expectations and secured Champions League qualification with a third-place Premier League finish.

This earned Carrick the permanent Man Utd manager’s job, but they have reverted to type at the start of this season.

Carrick is the favourite to be the first Premier League manager sacked this season after winning only one of Man Utd’s six games in the league this term.

“I’ll only do it for the big job…”

Now, Man Utd legend Nicky Butt has revealed a private conversation he had with Carrick before returning to Old Trafford.

“I was with Michael before he got the United job and speaking to him about management,” Butt claimed on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast.

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“He went, ‘no, it’s not for me. It’s too much and my head’s all over the shop. I’ll only do it for the big job and the big job is United’.

Most of United’s key players have been underperforming at the start of this season, and club legend Wayne Rooney thinks there is trouble brewing with captain Enzo Fernandes.

“He’s fed up. I genuinely think he looks like ‘oh here we go again’,” Rooney said on Stick with United.

“It’s the same thing and there’s only so many times, although he’s getting personal recognition for his performances, assists and carrying the team, but then sometimes you need taking out of that position.

“You can’t take yourself out but you need taking out of that role just to breathe again because I feel like now you can see it building, there’s going to be an explosion with him if this carries on.

“He’s not scared to come out and voice his opinion so there is going to be that explosion if this carries on the way it’s going.

“I think whether you move him back or take him out the team you say we’re going to freshen it up a bit and be more solid in the midfield. You need to get results any way you can and say OK we will sit back a little bit.

“Tielemans can play in that position in the more attacking position but for me you need three in midfield at the minute because we’re getting outrun, we’re getting outplayed and all of a sudden you’ve got Mainoo and Tielemans who aren’t the quickest and aren’t the most mobile to cover the full width of the pitch so they need help in there.

“Whether you stick Baleba in there as well and say Mainoo is good going forward as well, they just need a bit more security to help the back four. You need to be solid first then try and win the game.”

Manchester United Bruno Fernandes