Ferdinand's warning: Carrick needs to keep winning to keep the respect of Manchester United players
Rio Ferdinand has given Michael Carrick a clear warning after being promoted from interim to permanent manager of Manchester United: the positive trend must be maintained next season or respect will quickly disappear in the dressing room.
Rio Ferdinand has given advice and warning to Michael Carrick after he was formally unveiled as Manchester United's permanent manager.
Carrick, who previously served as interim boss, was first appointed as interim manager to replace Ruben Amorim in January. After a string of good results and a place in the UEFA Champions League through third place in the league, the former England international was given a permanent role.
Ferdinand — a six-time Premier League champion and Champions League winner with United — said the morale boost at Old Trafford was positive but he warned that players' attitudes could change quickly if the good run did not continue.
<figure style="margin:2rem 0;overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;background:#f9f9f9"><img src="https://images.performgroup.com/di/library/omnisport/b1/83/carrick_1d1fr1b1zjux1z52y8cv1p25x.jpg?t=1366949838" alt="Image" style="width:100%;height:auto;object-fit:contain" loading="lazy" /></figure>"It's a good situation when you're running well," Ferdinand told The Athletic. "I went in pre-season and spoke to Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Harry Maguire and I didn't come back to the club for a long time; the atmosphere was good then. Then we started very badly. You need results to help the atmosphere."
He added that he was hearing from the players the recognition of Carrick's ability: "Casemiro noted, 'You can see that Michael Carrick knows the club, has played at the highest level, knows what is needed.'"
But Ferdinand warned about the limits of the past: "Even Roy Keane, when he walks into the training room at Man United, automatically gets respect. But when you don't get the results, you lose respect quickly — players are quick to judge someone. Your history is not enough forever. When you show you're not the person they need, or have a perceived weakness, it doesn't matter what you've done before. Even if you've had a career like mine, Roy, Gary Neville or whoever, you'll be looked at with hesitation."
Overall, Ferdinand praised the positive change that Carrick has brought but it is clear that the challenge for the new permanent manager is to maintain the momentum and deliver results in the coming season if he is to remain respected and effective at Old Trafford.
