Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe visited the Carrington training base last week for a private meeting with interim manager Michael Carrick. When directly asked about Carrick’s future, however, Ratcliffe declined to "discuss in depth," and the final decision on whether Carrick will be appointed permanently is expected to be announced in four weeks’ time.
Ratcliffe has made occasional visits to United’s Carrington headquarters this season, and last week he had a relaxed conversation with Carrick over a cup of tea. Carrick revealed: “We had a chat and a cup of tea. It was just a casual conversation, and it was nice to see him come to show his support. That was it. It was quite informal, but it was nice to see him. As a football club, we are hugely connected all the way through, and that is a big part of it. I am very conscious of how things should be, and I am doing my part too.”
Notably, Ratcliffe had previously publicly supported former manager Ruben Amorim. Seven months ago, after United lost 1-3 away to Brentford, there were rumors that Amorim’s tenure might be drawing to a close, but Ratcliffe publicly backed the Portuguese coach less than two weeks later. Now, under Carrick’s leadership, United have emerged from that slump and are set to face the same opponents at home on Monday. The Red Devils are currently pushing hard for Champions League qualification, with Harry Maguire returning from suspension, but Lisandro Martínez is still serving the second match of his three-game ban. Carrick said: “This is certainly where we want to be. We have had some great nights in this competition. We are in a good position, hoping there is more to fight for, and we want to keep moving forward.”
Meanwhile, Brentford manager Keith Andrews wants his players to embrace this tough run of fixtures. The Bees will face Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool away in succession, but Andrews said: "We have already beaten two of them. I hope we can go all out for the final five games. I see no reason not to embrace these matches." He also specifically mentioned former United player Bryan Mbeumo: “It is always great to see players like Bryan move to clubs like Manchester United and shine. It is a great story for our club.”
