Manchester United have not committed to a permanent successor and Michael Carrick is not guaranteed the job. Reports last month suggested no other candidates were yet being spoken to, but the final decision is being postponed.

The Guardian writes that the decision on who gets the job won’t be made until the end of the season. Jason Wilcox, director of football, is leading the process and is “intent on waiting.” That appetite for patience sits alongside the case Carrick has built since taking charge.

Off the back of three successive wins in his first three matches, Carrick said he is “loving” the job, but also understands the situation and is “not getting too carried away.” He was appointed in mid-January and, since then, United have picked up more points than any other Premier League team.

Carrick’s impact has been framed around simplification for the players. Amorim arrived with complex tactical plans that did not fit and were judged to have failed. Under Carrick there has been a restoration of the club’s established style: high tempo, aggressive play, fast wingers and deadly transitions. Performances have not been flawless, but a side that previously crumbled more easily now shows greater resilience.

The case for an internal candidate is strengthened by Carrick’s long association with the club. He played for United for 12 years (2006–18) and was a coach for three more (2018–2021). That background is contrasted with recent managerial departures. When compared to how Louis van Gaal, Erik ten Hag and Amorim have fallen short, Carrick’s knowledge of the club is presented as a material advantage.

Carrick’s sole permanent managerial spell was three seasons at Middlesbrough, where promotion was not achieved. The article notes precedent for clubs appointing managers with limited top-flight experience: “Pep Guardiola had never held a top-flight managerial position before Barcelona gave him the keys to the first team in 2008. Nor had Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid eight years later.” If United decide against Carrick, it is unclear which alternatives would be chosen.

Casemiro has publicly urged Manchester United to retain faith in Kobbie Mainoo, stressing the teenager’s potential to be a long-term midfielder for the club. The academy graduate was largely overlooked by former United manager Ruben Amorim, not starting a single Premier League game in the first half of 2025–26. After a minor Christmas injury, Mainoo has been a fixture since Michael Carrick took charge in mid-January, playing all but 14 minutes of the 900 available in the league and starting alongside Casemiro on each occasion.

“Kobbie is the present and the future,” Casemiro told ManUtd.com in a fan Q&A. “I think that he is one of the best eights and can be for that for the next 12 years. He is a player I really like—he always wants the ball.

“It is true that football can’t change your mentality, but Kobbie demonstrated that he hasn’t changed his focus once. He has to continue focusing like he is now and continue playing the important role he is now. But what a player he is, he is a great player. He has demonstrated this, in the Euros final with England, he has demonstrated it in finals, he scored in the [2024] FA Cup final.

“He is the present and the future.”

Mainoo forced his way into England’s midfield after establishing himself in United’s first team at 18. He had only three caps when Euro 2024 began but won a place in the starting lineup after the group stage as England reached the final. His international involvement then stalled; he played only once more for his country in September 2024 before a club resurgence prompted a recall last month. Mainoo appeared off the bench in England’s draw with Uruguay, started the defeat to Japan and will be targeting a place in Thomas Tuchel’s XI for the Group L opener against Croatia in Arlington on June 17.

Manchester United will send fewer representatives than usual to the 2026 World Cup in North America. Several members of the squad will spend the summer recovering and preparing for the 2025/26 campaign rather than competing at the tournament. Some players simply did not make their national squads, while others will miss out because their countries failed to qualify.

Patrick Dorgu is among those who will be absent from the finals. He was unavailable for Denmark during its critical European playoff clashes with North Macedonia and Czechia due to injury. The match against Czechia ended in misery for Denmark as missed penalties in the shootout—including one skewed by Rasmus Højlund, still technically a United striker—proved costly at the end of a 2–2 draw after extra time. Denmark failed to progress and will miss only its third World Cup of the century. That outcome is disappointing for Dorgu but offers Manchester United the chance to reintroduce the versatile full back gradually once he is fit.

Bryan Mbeumo enjoyed a fine debut season at Old Trafford, but his summer prospects were affected by international disappointment. The 26-year-old had hoped to represent Cameroon at his second World Cup, yet a disappointing qualification campaign leaves him with an empty summer. Cameroon finished second in qualifying, dropping into the CAF playoffs where a win would have delivered a place in the inter-confederation playoffs. Instead, defeat to DR Congo on penalties in the semifinal ended Cameroon’s hopes of reaching North America. Mbeumo will now wait until 2030 for another chance to play at the World Cup.

Benjamin Šeško has seen his slow start at Old Trafford transform since the turn of the year. The towering striker has been in excellent form for his new club, producing a string of crucial goals for interim manager Michael Carrick as United pursue Champions League qualification. His club form means the focus for Šeško this summer will be on maintaining momentum with Manchester United rather than international action at the World Cup.