Carragher: Michael Carrick will be Man Utd boss after 'sensational results'

Michael Carrick will be Manchester United manager next season, according to Jamie Carragher.

United are closing in on a Champions League return after tightening their grip on a qualifying position with a 2-1 win over Brentford at Old Trafford on Monday.

With four Premier League games remaining, third-placed United are now 11 points clear of sixth-placed Brighton and could make their qualification certain next weekend, when they face rivals Liverpool.

Interim boss Carrick has now overseen nine wins in 13 games since taking charge in January and Carragher expects himto keep the job after a series of "sensational results".

The former Liverpool defender said on Sky Sports: "He's going to be the Manchester United manager, certainly next season, no doubt about that - and you can't say he doesn't deserve it.

"They are absolutely sensational results. They're the results of a title-winning team, or a team going for the league.

"Now I know that pressure isn't on Manchester United right now, they haven't got European fixtures, all these other things will come into it, but I don't think anybody could have come in and done any better results-wise."

"The biggest criticism of Ruben Amorin was that he never adapted, Carrick has shown he can adapt."

'Results under Carrick speak for themselves'

Harry Maguire speaking to Sky Sports about the secret to Michael Carrick's success:

"I think obviously the results help that the feeling [of confidence about Michael Carrick] massively. We had two tough fixtures when Michael first come in, and I think everyone was probably looking at them thinking 'oh no', with Arsenal and Man City, and we managed to get the six points.

"Everyone's believed in it, and we've gathered together. We've got the confidence. We know that we can score goals from anywhere. I think we can still get a lot better at this formation as well. I think we can work as a back force, slide across the pitch a lot quicker, like we should have done.

"The results speak for themselves, since the manager has come in, and the formation has changed, we just seemed to pick up results. I think that the games previous, when Ruben was here, the games were 50/50, but we always ended up on the back of a defeat.

"Now it seems like it's the other way around, where we're a lot better in both boxes. We defend our box a lot better, and we're managing to be clinical in the other box."

Neville: Carrick getting the maximum out of the United players

Sky Sports' Gary Neville on The Gary Neville Podcast:

"I think if Michael Carrick was speaking honestly, I think what he'd say at the moment is that he's getting the absolute maximum out of this group of players.

"Is it 29 points now in 13 games since he came here? That's a brilliant job. It is a really brilliant job because they played fantastically well in those first two games against City and Arsenal. I mean, it was absolutely amazing.

"Those two performances, they really were fantastic, but they've not really hit that height since. They're getting over the line in games now where they're not playing as well. And that's something that you've got to do.

"I think you'll realise when he looks at the group of players out on the pitch, he said before the game that he thinks about the long term future of the club, even if he's not here at the end of the season, which I think he is more than likely to be.

"What he did in the second half was saying, 'I've got the tactical nous to do this. It's not just about doing it one way. I can shut down a game,' which he very nearly succeeded in doing. Saying 'I'm a serious manager in other ways.'

"I think he's proven that he's been agile in games. I mean, if Brentford had got level, you know, he'd have come under an enormous amount of criticism for going to that system. In hindsight, after a few minutes he said, 'this is working.' United's compactness wasn't as good as it should have been in that first half. And Michael Carrick will have seen that and he'll have thought, 'right, okay, I can't take that risk'."

Carrick happy to see Man Utd sitting 'in good position' after latest win

Meanwhile, Carrick recognises Manchester United are now "in a good position" after taking another step closer to Champions League qualification with victory over Brentford.

United could now clinch a return to Europe's top competition when they host another of the contenders, rivals Liverpool, live on Sky Sports on Sunday.

Carrick told Sky Sports: "It's another win. We've obviously got an important game coming up with the weekend, so we can look forward to that.

"It's a big game for different reasons but we've put ourselves in a good position."

Brentford fought back in the second half and struck late on through Mathias Jensen but United held on.

Carrick said: "We could have scored more but it's the time of year when it's a result business. We needed to take the points and we've had a fantastic two games on the back of the Leeds defeat."