According to a report by Metro on Sunday, November 1, 2026, former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has backed Michael Carrick to succeed at Old Trafford despite growing pressure on the current manager following the club's disappointing run of results.

Solskjaer believes his former teammate has the qualities required to take Manchester United forward and insists that he remains the right person to lead the club through its difficult period.

Carrick's position has come under increasing scrutiny after Manchester United suffered a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The result extended their winless run to nine matches, their longest such streak since 1988, and left them 17th in the Premier League table.

United were marginally the better side during the opening half but conceded shortly after the interval when Chelsea's summer signing Morgan Rogers went through their defence before chipping the ball over goalkeeper Senne Lammens.

Their hopes of recovering suffered another setback when Lisandro Martinez was sent off following two reckless challenges. The second incident resulted in a penalty, which Cole Palmer converted to secure victory for Chelsea.

Despite the disappointing results, Solskjaer has maintained his confidence in Carrick, describing him as the right man to take Manchester United forward. He highlighted his former teammate's understanding of the club, its supporters and the demands of the managerial position.

The Norwegian also compared Carrick's personality and determination to his own, expressing confidence that the former England midfielder possesses the qualities needed to succeed at Old Trafford.

Solskjaer further revealed that he recommended Carrick to Manchester United when discussions about the managerial position took place, describing him to the club hierarchy as a good person for the job. He added that he believed Carrick had similarly supported his own appointment.

The former Red Devils manager also confirmed that he offered to return to Old Trafford in January following Ruben Amorim's dismissal. He disclosed that he held discussions with club executives Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada, during which he shared his thoughts on what was required to move the club forward.

However, Solskjaer clarified that he made no demands, and the discussions did not involve negotiations over a contract or its duration.

Reflecting on his previous spell at Manchester United, the Norwegian admitted that he still misses managing the club and could have imagined remaining there for the rest of his career. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that his time in charge had come to an end and that another manager deserved an opportunity.

Solskjaer also disclosed that although he would have welcomed another opportunity to manage United in January, he did not intend to remain beyond the summer.

Meanwhile, Carrick is expected to remain in charge for Manchester United's Champions League encounter against Roma on Tuesday and their Premier League meeting with Aston Villa next weekend.