Wayne Rooney dismantles Carrick-Solskjaer myth, highlights stark contrast between duo

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has rubbished suggestions that there are similarities between Michael Carrick’s current interim spell and that of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Carrick is currently enjoying a dream start to life as United’s caretaker boss, having been temporarily handed the job in December last year to replace the sacked Ruben Amorim.

Inconsistency and upheaval defined Amorim’s ill-fated tenure, but a remarkable turnaround under Carrick has seen United become arguably the Premier League’s best side since his arrival.

Carrick has won all four games he has taken charge of, beating Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur in that incredible run.

He has quickly instilled a proactive, attacking style of play that has reignited the dreams of the supporters.

The United legend’s storybook beginning has drawn immediate parallels with Solskjaer’s interim period, when the Norwegian replaced Jose Mourinho and made a similarly instant impact – one that ultimately secured him the permanent position. United enjoyed a promising period under Solskjær before the project unravelled, leading to his dismissal in 2021.

Some have argued that United would be repeating the same mistake were they to permanently appoint Carrick.

However, Rooney has stressed that Carrick and Solskjaer are different characters and their situations are incomparable.

Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show , Rooney remarked, “Yeah, I think it comes from the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer job and I think Ole’s getting disrespected so much with people saying, ‘Oh, but it didn’t work out with Ole, so you can’t go Michael.'”

“Michael is a different character [from] Ole. So, he is a different manager to Ole and Ole, actually, when we look back and look at how everyone’s done since [Sir] Alex Ferguson was manager, Ole was probably one of the better ones at what he done and, you know, we got to the Europa League final.”

Rooney added, “Obviously, lost that [final] on penalties, I think he finished second and played some good stuff at times, so it was just the way it ended with Ole.”

“So, yeah, I think, listen, Michael is, you know, he’s a calming influence on everyone and he’ll just be doing his job and I’m sure he’d love the job at the end of the season if that’s the case.”

“But I think he’ll just go about his business quietly and let the players take all the plaudits when it’s gone well. And if it’s not going well, then I’m sure he’ll step in and try and take that pressure off the players. So, he’s at the minute, the way he started and the job he’s doing is fantastic. So hopefully that can continue.”

Carrick and his players will be looking to make it five wins in five when they visit West Ham on Tuesday night.

Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images

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