It is now all but confirmed that Michael Carrick is the new interim manager of Manchester United. David Ornstein has now confirmed that there is an agreement in principle for Michael Carrick to join Manchester United on an interim basis, bringing in his coaching staff including Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate, Jonny Evans and Travis Binnion.
The current belief is that Carrick will stand down at the end of the season, no matter how successful he is as head coach. Despite that, he will bring in his own style of play, and United will want to recue what they can from a disastrous season, which now is entirely focused on the Premier League after United's embarrassing exit from the FA Cup to Brighton.
One man that can stand to benefit from Carrick's appointment is Kobbie Mainoo. Mainoo has struggled immensely for game time this season, and his start against Brighton last weekend was his first start for United since their loss to Grimsby in the EFL Cup.
Kobbie Mainoo did not fit into Ruben Amorim's system. Mainoo was even linked with a move away, with the World Cup looming and Mainoo wanting to fight his way into Thomas Tuchel's squad. But now, Mainoo may have a new lease on life.
Michael Carrick declares support for Kobbie Mainoo in Rio Ferdinand interview
Michael Carrick, in an interview conducted with Rio Ferdinand, has already given his backing to Kobbie Mainoo, highlighting his importance not just as a footballer, but his importance as an academy graduate.
"I think for a club to have a player that's come through the academy and knows the club and feels it, I think United's got to have an element of that" Carrick said, "I think to have a talent like that he's shown already, you've got to have players like that."
Carrick did not come through the United academy, he joined the club from Tottenham in 2006. But he did captain the side, and enjoyed a lengthy career at Old Trafford. It's good to see that he understands the identity at United, and the importance of youth talent.
Carrick is hardly stating the controversial here. Most United fans are convinced of Mainoo's talents, and that it is important that United always have a Carrington graduate in the team.
United have famously had an academy graduate in their squad in every game since 1937, and it's important that players like Mainoo carry the torch of all the graduates who came before him.
Ruben Amorim was obviously an outlier in his opinion on Kobbie Mainoo. Everyone in the Stretford End knows what Kobbie Mainoo is capable of, and whatever their opinion is on Ruben Amorim's sacking and Michael Carrick's hiring, they'll be glad to see a manager who understands what makes Manchester United so special.