Michael Carrick lacks the ‘stardust’ to return Manchester United to the pinnacle of football, claims Jamie Carragher.
Carrick, 45, landed the Old Trafford gig on a permanent basis this summer having impressed during his interim stint in charge of the club following the sacking of Ruben Amorim in January.
The former United midfielder led the Red Devils to victories over Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool to deliver a third-place finish, returning the club to the Champions League after two seasons out of the competition.
Carrick’s strong start to life in the United dugout has led to a groundswell of optimism among fans that he can oversee the club’s first league title since Sir Alex Ferguson‘s departure in 2013.
However, Liverpool legend Carragher has urged caution ahead of the 2026-27 Premier League season.
‘I’m not saying it’s going to go wrong. What Manchester United have had for the last six months, need that for another 12 months of not being the circus, not being the story all the time, and Carrick brings you that,’ he said on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet.
Michael Carrick lacks the ‘stardust’ to deliver a Premier League or Champions League title for Manchester United, Jamie Carragher has claimed
Carrick has landed the United job on a permanent basis after an impressive interim spell
‘But has he got that stardust to win the biggest trophy? And I think you need to get to a strong position of being a proper Champions League club again. And then, right, what do we need? It’s like a player gets you to a certain level, then we need that stardust.
‘I personally just don’t think Michael Carrick’s got that stardust as a manager to win a Champions League or a Premier League.
‘I don’t believe Michael Carrick will win the league or the Champions League with Manchester United, but he’s done a really good job.
‘He could have a good season and put Manchester United in a position to then go and get a Champions League-winning manager.’
Carrick has sought to strengthen his squad in the summer transfer market, with midfielders Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans arriving from Chelsea and Aston Villa respectively.
But Carragher believes United missed a trick in not pursuing former West Ham star Mateus Fernandes, with the club baulking at his £85million asking price. The midfielder has since joined Spurs.
‘I was a little bit worried when I saw United linked with Fernandes because I thought that could be a good signing,’ he said.
‘I just looked at him and his age and was surprised United didn’t go for Fernandes. They said it was too expensive but was it that expensive?
Carragher believes Carrick can set a good foundation for the next Man United manager
He also questioned why the Red Devils pulled out of a move for £85m Mateus Fernandes
‘I know £85m is a lot but you’re never going to get a really top midfielder now for £50m.’
Elsewhere, United legend Paul Scholes believes the defence is ‘still a problem’, with United yet to bring in fresh additions at the back.
‘Centre halves are still a problem,’ he said. ‘Manchester United still need better centre halves – the current players don’t have the quality, where I am judging Manchester United, to go on and win the Premier League.
‘You need centre halves who are reliable every single week. We’ve got Maguire who has started to pick up some [injury] niggles, Lisandro Martinez – the lad just can’t stay fit now. When he’s fit, he is a good player, don’t get me wrong.
‘They’ve got Leny Yoro who has struggled over the last two years – it looks like the [Premier League] level is above him and [hopefully] he might come on [a bit this season].’
Former Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt has been sidelined since November with a long-term back injury, with no clear sign as to when he will return.
Scholes believes the 27-year-old is the club’s best defender – if he can stay fit.
‘If de Ligt is fit and playing every week, he’s possibly Manchester United’s best centre-half. But again, that’s a question mark against centre-halves. You can’t have those question marks.’
