Michael Carrick Gives New Manchester United Manager Erik Ten Hag Advice

Michael Carrick believes Erik ten Hag should be given the freedom to implement his beliefs at Manchester United.

Ten Hag was introduced to the United players on Monday as he oversaw his first week of pre-season training since taking over from interim manager Ralf Rangnick.

United’s players were ordered to report at 9am on Tuesday, an hour earlier than under previous regimes, while there has been an emphasis on sharp passing in training.

The club is backing Ten Hag’s suggested targets in the transfer market, with the 52-year-old favouring players who are either Dutch or from the Dutch league. Frenkie de Jong, Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martinez have all been developed in the Eredivisie.

Carrick was the United caretaker manager for 11 days after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dismissal in November and left with a record of two wins and one draw. The 40-year-old is taking a break after 15-and-a-half years’ service as a player and coach with the club and spoke about United’s new era.

“Hopefully they can get a good start to the season and kick on, it’ll be interesting to see how it goes,” Carrick told Sky Sports. “I think [Ten Hag]’s just got to do what he does, he’s proved it at Ajax and in his coaching career he’s got strong beliefs and his teams play a certain way. I’m looking forward to seeing that.