Paul Pogba Supports Carrick's Permanent Role at Manchester United

Paul Pogba has never been shy of an opinion on Manchester United, and this time his verdict will land well at Old Trafford. The former midfielder has thrown his weight behind the club’s decision to hand Michael Carrick the job on a permanent basis – a call many inside and outside the dressing room had long seen coming.

From uncertainty to authority

United’s 2025/26 campaign began in familiar turbulence. Under Ruben Amorim, performances stuttered, results wobbled and the sense of drift grew. Champions League football felt distant, the mood flat, the direction unclear.

Then came the reset.

Carrick, initially ushered in on an interim basis at the turn of the year, walked into a fractured season and quietly seized control. Across 17 Premier League matches, he delivered 12 wins, three draws and only two defeats – numbers that did far more than steady the ship. They changed the temperature of the club.

United climbed to third, hauling themselves back into the Champions League after a two-year absence. The football shifted too. Carrick pushed the team onto the front foot, asking his players to be braver with and without the ball. The approach caught on quickly. The crowd at Old Trafford recognised the intent, the players responded to the clarity, and the atmosphere around the club began to feel lighter, sharper, more ambitious.

The hierarchy insisted they would not rush. They spoke of processes, of surveying “all available and suitable options” before settling on a long-term appointment. Yet with each passing week, each commanding display, it became obvious: this was Carrick’s job to lose. Last month, the inevitable became official.

Pogba’s seal of approval

From the outside looking in, Pogba likes what he sees.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the World Cup winner made his stance plain. “I think he’s doing a great job and he did it also at the time when he was the assistant of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer,” Pogba said, pointing back to Carrick’s earlier work on the coaching staff.

“He’s a great guy, he has experience, he was a great player, and he has a very good connection with the players, you could see it when he took the team.”

That connection is no small detail. Carrick’s status as a United legend and his calm authority have helped bridge the gap between a restless fanbase and a squad that has too often looked unsure of itself. Pogba, who made 233 appearances across two spells at the club, knows the weight of the shirt and the importance of that bond.

“I think it’s going to be good for United,” he added. “I wish them the best, obviously, for him and all the staff and the players.”

A different kind of rebuild

For the first time in years, optimism at Old Trafford feels grounded in something more tangible than slogans and soundbites. The numbers under Carrick are strong, but the mood music is just as important. United look like a team with a plan again.

The next test comes quickly. A pivotal summer window looms, and with Champions League football secured, United suddenly hold a stronger hand in the market. If the club matches Carrick’s clarity on the pitch with conviction off it, this revival might not be a brief surge but the start of something more durable.

Carrick has his chance now. Pogba, watching from afar, clearly believes United have finally given it to the right man.