Solskjær: Carrick is the right man to lead Manchester United

Red Devils manager under pressure

Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Michael Carrick is the "right man" to "lead the Red Devils forward" despite the mounting pressure on his former team-mate.

Manchester United's disastrous start to the season rolled on yesterday, as Carrick's side slipped to a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea in the ninth round of the Premier League.

The visitors edged the first half, but they fell behind soon after the restart when Morgan Rogers, a recent Chelsea signing, burst through the United defence and lifted the ball over Senne Lammens.

Carrick still fancied a comeback. That hope died when Lisandro Martinez was sent off for two reckless fouls, the second of them conceding a penalty that Cole Palmer tucked away.

Nine matches without a win now. It is United's longest such run since 1988, and it leaves them languishing in seventeenth.

Calls from Old Trafford officials for Carrick's dismissal have resurfaced after United came away from Stamford Bridge empty-handed, yet the former England midfielder looks set to take charge of Tuesday's Champions League clash with Roma.

Reports suggest Carrick will also be in the dugout for next weekend's Premier League meeting with Aston Villa before United's hierarchy weigh up the situation during the international break.

Even as they stick with Carrick for now, United have already made initial approaches to three potential replacements: Eddie Howe, Antonio Conte and Julian Nagelsmann.

Solskjaer backed Carrick's appointment last January, and he still reckons his former team-mate can turn things around at Old Trafford, according to the English newspaper "Metro".

He told Norwegian channel TV2: "Michael has everything it takes to lead this club forward. I think he is the right man."

Solskjaer added: "He understands the club, he understands the fans, and he knows what is required. You do not see that 'evil' in him. But it is there, and it is in me too. We are incredibly alike."

He continued: "Perhaps many did not expect me to become a football manager, and certainly not Manchester United manager. And perhaps many thought the same about Michael Carrick."

"When I spoke with Manchester United's management, I praised Michael a great deal," he went on. "I said: 'If you choose him, you will get a capable man.' And I believe he did the same for me."

After Ruben Amorim's dismissal at the start of the year, Solskjaer spoke with United officials Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada and confirmed he had "offered" to return to the club.

That offer followed the club legend's three-year spell in charge of the Red Devils, which ended in 2021.

Solskjaer said: "I had a good conversation with Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada. We did not discuss the length of the contract or anything like that."

He explained: "I offered to step in if needed, and I did not demand anything. I shared my thoughts on what is required for the club to move forward. We had one brief conversation. There were no negotiations."

Reflecting on his own time in charge of Manchester United, Solskjaer added: "There were some wonderful moments, but there is a time for everything."