Manchester United has set conditions for Carrick’s permanent appointment: he must lead the team into the Champions League! The crucial match is not the away game against Arsenal.

As reported by the English media "Football Insider," for Carrick to have an opportunity to be Manchester United’s permanent manager next season, he must guarantee that the team achieves a top-four or top-five finish in the Premier League in the remaining fixtures, successfully qualifying for the Champions League next season.

After the lessons learned from Ten Hag and Rúben Amorim, Manchester United now plans to take a cautious approach in selecting their next permanent head coach to avoid repeating past mistakes. This means Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS management team will carefully evaluate all potential candidates before the season ends, possibly waiting until after the World Cup to see if any high-profile national team coaches become available.

Of course, as the interim coach for the rest of this season, Carrick has the chance to make the shortlist and become a favorite. He started his tenure with a Manchester Derby victory, a commanding 2-0 win over Manchester City, which has already earned him significant credit.

This Sunday, Carrick will lead the team to face league leaders Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. His last match as interim manager was a 3-2 win over the Gunners. However, while the clash with Arsenal is important, it is not the decisive match determining Carrick’s fate. A good result would be ideal, but even a loss wouldn’t be catastrophic.

For 44-year-old Carrick, the real challenge to secure a top-five finish comes in the series of matches following the Arsenal game. In February, Manchester United will have two home games and two away games: hosting Fulham and Tottenham at Old Trafford, then traveling to West Ham and Everton. These opponents are all in the lower half of the table, so performing well in these matches is crucial to consolidating United’s current fifth-place standing.

In the past, Manchester United has shown strong performances against top teams but struggled against mid- and lower-table sides. After consecutive wins against Chelsea and Liverpool from September to October last year, the team quickly fell into a three-match winless streak, including a 0-1 home defeat to an Everton side reduced to ten men.

Throughout the long league campaign, only by consistently securing positive results in these "ordinary" matches can Manchester United help Carrick and his squad clinch a Champions League spot and give Carrick a chance to be appointed permanently. Additionally, Carrick surely wants to leave his mark on Manchester United in the coming months by showcasing his tactical ideas.

The British newspaper Daily Mail reports that after Carrick took charge, he made subtle adjustments to the team’s operations. He first communicated his expectations clearly to the players. Last Wednesday morning, when Carrick drove back to the Carrington training ground, preparations were already underway. After players returned from their break, he gathered them to emphasize how much of an honor it is to represent Manchester United.

Moreover, Carrick shortened the training sessions but increased their intensity. According to insiders, from the very first training, there was a noticeable change in the atmosphere on the pitch.

The tactical and technical training is highly integrated with the players’ individual characteristics, helping them develop stronger teamwork. During training, the coaching staff also focused more on personalized guidance for certain players, and the dressing room was reportedly impressed by the meticulousness of this training approach.

On match days, the team’s bus departure to the stadium has been delayed by 15 minutes. Carrick wants players to avoid wasting too much time inside the stadium before the game and to warm up more efficiently.

"It’s completely different, really completely different," said defender Lisandro Martínez when asked about Carrick’s impact on the team during training. Manchester United now shows a strong attacking mindset, always taking the initiative, with players’ attitudes and spirits transformed—they dared to challenge Manchester City.

Manchester United defeated Manchester City through collective effort rather than relying on individual brilliance as in the Ten Hag or Amorim eras. For example, Amorim’s win over City was turned around by Amad Diallo’s solo effort; the Europa League comeback against Lyon depended on miraculous goals from Casemiro, Cody Meno, and Maguire. Those matches could have easily been lost, but in Carrick’s debut, United maintained dominance throughout, and the victory was far from a fluke.

Manchester City suffered the worst expected goals conceded under Pep Guardiola’s tenure, managing only one shot on target, further proving Manchester United’s strong performance. United fans finally saw the team they had been hoping for, but Carrick still needs to prove this is not a one-time success. If he does, he will demonstrate he is worthy of a permanent role. English media’s supercomputer predicts Carrick can lead the team back to the Champions League.