In his early days back at Manchester United in January, Michael Carrick asked his players a question: what would they consider their best position — and why?Carrick had already ranked, on a scale of one to three, the best roles he saw for each member of his squad, but he wanted to hear what those taking to the pitch believed themselves. He talked things through with his players in individual meetings and drew conclusions, before making his decisions on selections. People familiar with the matter, speaking anonymously, like others consulted for this article, say he had his own mind, but felt getting his players’ perspective was valuable.That collaboration was perhaps heightened by the immediate need to understand the squad he’d inherited, given his appointment midway through a campaign, but it does speak to his general approach.Certainly, his communication is why he has such strong support from within the dressing room over his status as United’s head coach. It is in contrast to predecessor Ruben Amorim, who cut a more removed figure. Amorim felt detachment was required to instil discipline amid a turbulent period, but for several players it provoked confusion.In moving from an interim to a permanent appointment, which was confirmed on Friday, the dynamic will shift for Carrick, and people who understand United believe blending strength with soft skills is a balance he will need to strike.Carrick will lead United into next season after winning over the doubters (Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)Carrick does lead, however. He has his own clear view on matters, whatever the democracy in his methods. He regards Bruno Fernandes as a No 10 and nothing else; no second or third rank for United’s captain. Fernandes has spoken about the benefits to him of operating as a deeper midfielder under Amorim. “That made me learn more about the game of my team-mates, what type of movements I need to do to help them,” he told Gary Neville of Sky Sports. “When to press, how to cover spaces.”Clarity from Carrick though, albeit with an obvious tweak to the system for many, has now given Fernandes the platform to hit some of his best form in a United shirt, leading to his Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award.In others, Carrick does like versatility. Patrick Dorgu’s explosive speed, combined with defensive instincts, has seen him pick the Dane at left-winger, as Darren Fletcher did during his brief caretaker period immediately after Amorim’s sacking, because he can run in behind while also getting back to cover. Next season, Dorgu might yet be rotated at left-back with Luke Shaw, who turns 31 in July and will need to manage his minutes as United’s fixture schedule gets busier with their return to the Champions League.Carrick is also known to think the positional flexibility of Mason Mount and Noussair Mazraoui is beneficial to his squad heading into a campaign of four competitions. Mount started in deep midfield at Sunderland and Brighton & Hove Albion in Casemiro’s absence, playing superbly at the Amex Stadium today (Sunday), but recruiting a No 6 (or two), is obviously United’s top priority in the summer market.At least Carrick’s interim spell has dispelled the notion Kobbie Mainoo could leave, easing some of the pressure on that position.Mainoo was on his way out with Amorim in charge. Both last summer and this winter, he asked for a move — but only ever on loan. He simply wanted to play. Napoli were seriously interested, in both windows. Chelsea inquired about a permanent transfer at the end of last season, in the £40million range, but that idea held no appeal to Mainoo.His value was diminishing, though, with each week he began games on the bench under Amorim. Jason Wilcox, United’s director of football, blocked a loan exit on the grounds that a replacement would be needed and finding one of Mainoo’s quality would be very hard.Amorim’s dismissal changed the picture. Fletcher brought Mainoo back into the starting line-up for the FA Cup third-round loss to Brighton, and Carrick has since elevated his game further. Mainoo says he has been given “gems” by Carrick (Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)From being a player United might have listened to offers for last summer, Mainoo, at 21, is once again one of the Premier League’s most promising young talents. He demonstrates his quality on the ball in every game and his value has soared, which is another factor to consider when judging Carrick’s impact. He has raised the bottom line beyond the £100million revenue of Champions League football, although the circumstances of United cashing in on Mainoo are now hard to envisage.Mainoo’s new contract, running to 2031, should put the matter to bed for several years, a prospect which seemed distant during the 4-4 draw with Bournemouth in December when his brother Jordan, standing pitchside at Old Trafford, wore a T-shirt stating: “Free Kobbie Mainoo”. His sibling had not started a Premier League game at that point in the 2025-26 campaign.Wilcox spoke to Mainoo about his brother’s photo-op at the time. The young midfielder was unmoved, firmly of the belief that he should be playing regularly.Carrick has given Mainoo the platform he craves, and the bond between them is strong. “You believe what he says, and you want to get behind him,” Mainoo has told United’s Inside Carrington podcast. “The information he has, you can believe every word, because he’s been here, through the ups and downs, as a United player. Especially for me, in my position, he helps me a lot. All the gems I get from him I take.”The public backing from members of the squad for Carrick has been pronounced, beyond the usual platitudes of players supporting their manager. Casemiro has spoken glowingly of his final United boss. Mount, Amad and Fernandes have all been firmly positive. Privately, those feelings are the same. Carrick’s training and matchday plans, as well as his measured, authentic style — where he does not criticise players in public — have been warmly received.His video sessions before games have gone down well for being detailed yet understandable. Some are tailored for small groups, others are shown to the full squad.Carrick presented a different type of video in the week of the anniversary of the Munich air disaster in February, getting footage put together to explain what happened in 1958 and its meaning in the modern day. Newer players found it enlightening and bonding to United.The path to Carrick getting the job has not been linear, though. At one stage, people close to the club detected that United planned to go in a different direction, aiming for someone with a proven elite background. United wanted to consider all their options to come to what they now feel is the best choice.Carrick is unassuming, and shows restraint in press conferences. He does not tend to make punchy statements that spark headlines. This prompted some discussion internally about whether his personality was the right fit.Decision-makers, including Sir Jim Ratcliffe, debated his credentials for managing in the Champions League, given he has only done so on a single occasion. That being said, in that game five years ago, he guided United to victory against a Unai Emery-managed Villarreal in Spain. As a player, he won the competition with United in 2008, and started its final in two other seasons.In January, Carrick excelled straight out of the gate, in the wins over Manchester City and Arsenal, but questions were raised about the team’s displays against lesser opposition, such as in the late draw at West Ham United, and the defeats to Newcastle United and Leeds United.Ratcliffe attended that loss to Leeds at Old Trafford, a display which started sluggishly and drew criticism for Carrick over his substitutions. That was the night Lisandro Martinez was sent off for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair, a decision which incensed Carrick. In the press conference afterwards, he showed some bite, which endeared him to fans. So too did his passion around the officiating at Bournemouth, when Harry Maguire received a red card.At that point, Carrick’s future was regarded by close observers as in the balance, even if people at the club thought the 24-day gap from the previous fixture before facing Leeds actually hampered the players’ rhythm, rather than provided a refreshing break.Ratcliffe was ultimately convinced Carrick is the right man (George Wood/Getty Images)The mood concerning Carrick hardened in a positive way after United won at Chelsea on April 18, five days after the Leeds defeat. That result moved United to the brink of Champions League qualification and demonstrated resilience in Carrick’s football. He was without four senior centre-backs through injury or suspension, so picked Mazraoui and teenager Ayden Heaven there and delivered a clean sheet.Wilcox had told the players the aim this season should still be Champions League football when addressing them in the wake of Amorim’s departure, and Carrick was now on course to do it with room to spare. That Monday, Ratcliffe reacted by flying to England and visiting Carrington for a series of meetings, including one with Carrick over a cup of tea. “It was a casual chat, quite informal, but nice to see him,” Carrick said.He spoke of having a connection through Ratcliffe, as co-owner, to all the areas of the club. Since day one, Carrick has been popular at United’s training base for his holistic, inclusive way of working. “I’m really conscious, that’s how it should be,” he said of the conversation with Ratcliffe. “I am trying to do my part with that, so is everybody else.”Wilcox is an influential figure at Carrington, watching sessions and consistently checking the temperature. He asked the players their thoughts on Carrick getting the job permanently, and received resounding feedback, especially from Fernandes, who does not instigate or try to influence such decisions but will give his opinion if requested.Carrick has, all along, been in recruitment meetings, attending academy matches, and discussing medical and fitness plans, engendering respect from colleagues with his commitment, most pronounced for the six-hour round-trip down to Oxford United’s Kassam Stadium to watch the under-18s in an FA Youth Cup tie. In the final weeks of this campaign, he has been looking ahead, giving the firm impression he would be staying into next season and beyond.Wilcox with Carrick after his appointment was confirmed (Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)Inevitably, the looming World Cup affected United’s attainable candidates for the job. They did make a check on Thomas Tuchel when Amorim left, but he signed a new contract as England head coach, partly due to his strong relationship with Dan Ashworth, the chief football officer at the FA. Ashworth had left United in 2024 after spending only five months as their sporting director.A fortnight ago, Carlo Ancelotti signed an extension to his deal as Brazil coach that had been on the table since February.More recently, United considered Julian Nagelsmann. He is rated by Christopher Vivell, their director of recruitment, and came out well when the club’s data team ran the numbers as far back as early autumn. But Nagelsmann’s World Cup commitments with Germany curtailed formal talks. The German Football Association were always confident their head coach would not commit to a club role for next season, as it would have led to a huge backlash from national media in their country. This World Cup is deemed particularly crucial after Germany’s poor recent record in the tournament, and anything to undermine that would have caused major issues.In terms of managers who could be free, United sounded out Andoni Iraola, who is leaving Bournemouth after three seasons. Iraola is regarded as a talented coach, but ultimately officials felt it would have been too big a step for him into Champions League football at a club the scale of United.Emery, who has extensive European experience and has consistently overachieved in his four seasons at Aston Villa, was once again proposed. Represented by superagent Jorge Mendes, he would have cost a large compensation package to Villa, however — some estimates go as high as £20million — and he has a level of control at the new Europa League champions he could never replicate at United. After spending £31million on Erik ten Hag and replacement Amorim in the past couple of years, cost was a factor in the call over United’s next boss. So Villa’s ownership were never really worried about losing Emery.It became clear early on in the process that Luis Enrique intended to sign a contract extension at Paris Saint-Germain, taking him beyond his current deal’s finish date of summer 2027. Even had he not been agreeing fresh terms at PSG, the compensation cost of getting him, and the complexities of persuading him, would have been high.Germany coach Nagelsmann was one strong candidate considered by United (Stefan Matzke – sampics/Getty Images)United feel they conducted a thorough and discreet process, with Carrick tested against the market.All things considered, most prominently Carrick’s record for gaining the most points of any manager in the Premier League since he took charge, Wilcox recommended to chief executive Omar Berrada that the 44-year-old be retained. This was then raised at board level. On May 12, United held an executive committee meeting in Monaco, where Ratcliffe lives, and the matter was decided. Co-owners Joel and Avram Glazer had input, but the final call was Ratcliffe’s. There was total alignment.Wilcox caught a flight back from Nice to Heathrow that Tuesday evening, and the following afternoon, at Carrington, United held their annual player-of-the-year ceremony. Historically a suit-and-tie event held at Old Trafford, this year it was a more low-key affair — tracksuits and a barbecue.Talks on Carrick’s contract got underway next day, with a view to potentially getting an agreement in principle in time for the visit of Nottingham Forest, the final home game of the season, on the Sunday, so he could address the Old Trafford crowd knowing his future.There was some negotiation. Initially, United proposed a two-year contract with a plus-one option, but that additional clause is not part of the final agreement. It seems inevitable that fresh terms will be looked at in 12 months’ time if Carrick is successful next season. History shows Carrick knows his worth, but also values the United position. Although he knew he would be a candidate in the summer, he did not demand guarantees of a new deal in the event of Champions League qualification when first agreeing to succeed Amorim. United had intended to consider him as a full-time candidate when hiring him in January.What Carrick did want was for his backroom staff to stay on. The plan at first was to announce all their fresh terms together with Carrick, hence the pause when the Forest match arrived too quickly. Ultimately, United did announce Carrick first, on Friday, at the same time as Manchester City confirmed Pep Guardiola’s departure after 10 years and not long after Tuchel named his squad for the World Cup. Carrick’s coaching team were confirmed to stay on the following day. Assistant Steve Holland, who had worked with Carrick’s brother Graeme at the FA, is seen as vital. So too Jonathan Woodgate, Wilcox’s former Leeds team-mate who had been No 2 to Carrick at Middlesbrough, Jonny Evans and Travis Binnion, who has seized his opportunity after promotion from the academy.Holland (right) is staying but Casemiro will need replacing (Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)Carrick does want to add to his team. A set-piece coach is on the agenda, with Andreas Georgson, currently at Tottenham Hotspur, a contender to return after his work was well received in the 2024-25 campaign. Other figures have been mentioned too.His final record this campaign reads, played 17, won 12, drawn three, lost two, for 39 points — three more than next-best Arsenal accumulated in the same period. Stretched over a whole season, that ratio would attain 87 points, a total capable of winning the title. Carrick has, with only half a season, finished almost as close to top spot as any manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired 13 years ago. His team ended up 14 points off champions Arsenal. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, as a runner-up, was 12 behind City in 2020-21. Carrick was, of course, on the Norwegian’s coaching staff. In 2022-23, when coming third under Ten Hag, United had 14 fewer points than champions City. When Jose Mourinho came second in 2018, his United team were 19 points off City.Carrick has also overseen a huge swing on goal difference, lifting last season’s figure from -10 to +19, the best total since Solskjaer’s side got +29 five years ago.Maintaining togetherness will be a prime motivation for Carrick, who has touched on that aspect repeatedly. A sign of the happy mood in camp was seen by his squad turning up en masse for an end-of-season meal at Manchester restaurant Fenix after the Forest game.Unlike some previous group outings, nobody tried to leave early, and several stayed until the very end at midnight. Carrick’s job now is to harness that good feeling into challenging for the top prizes.