Michael Carrick has been appointed as Manchester United's head coach until the end of the season, marking his return to the club more than four years after a previous short stint as caretaker manager in 2021. His tenure begins with a challenging derby against Manchester City on Saturday. Immediately following his appointment, Carrick found himself the subject of personal criticism from former United captain Roy Keane, who made comments referencing an incident from 2014 involving Carrick's wife, Lisa.

Keane, who Carrick inherited the number 16 shirt from upon joining United in 2006, remarked that Lisa Carrick was "probably doing the team talk." This harks back to 2014 when Lisa Carrick publicly responded to Keane's criticism of Michael's performance after a 2-0 defeat to Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League. Keane, in a recent podcast, evidently had not forgotten this, branding Lisa a "big mouth." Beyond the personal attack, Keane also voiced disapproval over Carrick's coaching staff appointments, which include Jonny Evans, former England assistant boss Steve Holland, and ex-Leeds and Real Madrid defender Jonathan Woodgate, who previously worked with Carrick at Middlesbrough.

Despite the barrage of criticism from Keane and the general "noise" generated by former players, a sentiment previously referenced by former head coach Ruben Amorim, Carrick remains unperturbed. "It didn't bother me," Carrick stated, emphasizing that such opinions do not add pressure. He considers them "totally irrelevant" to his focus. Carrick underlined his commitment to the team: "I know what we want to improve on, how we want to work with the players. There's a lot that can be said, it's the way of the world. I'm not going to pay too much attention to that. For me, the players and staff, it's a focus on how we're going to succeed."

Carrick expressed his enthusiasm for his new role, having developed a deep connection with the club through his various capacities, including coaching under José Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær. "It's fantastic to be here," he said. "It's a great feeling to be in this position. I've had different roles and fallen in love with the club. I'm fully aware of the position I'm in. I'm eager to succeed, we've got a big job to do. We've got to win games and play well and do it in a certain way."

While no specific targets have been set for his 17 games in charge, Carrick highlighted European qualification as a "step forward" for the club. He confirmed meeting with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and members of the Glazer family during their monthly board meeting at Carrington. His primary operational contacts will be director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada. Carrick noted that the ownership group wished him well, reinforcing the club's unified aim for success under his leadership.