Ole Gunnar Solskjær has backed Michael Carrick to continue leading Manchester United, even as he admits he would be receptive to returning to Old Trafford himself, saying he has "something unresolved" at the club.
United's 2-0 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday left Carrick with a nine-game winless run in charge, the club's worst stretch since 1988. United currently sit 17th in the Premier League, just outside the relegation zone on goal difference.
Carrick kept his job after crisis talks with United executives earlier in the week and is expected to take charge for the next two fixtures, against AS Roma and Aston Villa, ahead of the international break. His position is still considered shaky.
According to a report from The Athletic, cited six days before this latest development, United's hierarchy, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and director of football Jason Wilcox, had decided to give Carrick more time despite the club's poor start to the season.
Carrick first took interim charge in January following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim. During that process, chief executive Omar Berrada and Wilcox approached Solskjær, who managed United from 2018 to 2021, as a potential alternative, according to The Mirror.
Solskjær, who had Carrick as his assistant during that spell, said United made the right call in passing him over. "Michael has what it takes to take that club forward," Solskjær told Norwegian outlet TV2. "I think he's the right man. He understands the club, understands the fans and knows what's needed."
Carrick has recently revealed he stays in regular contact with both Solskjær and Sir Alex Ferguson as he tries to navigate United through their current struggles.
Despite backing Carrick, Solskjær admitted he misses being in charge at United and was open to taking the job again on an interim basis in January. "Going back to what has been is not always as good," he said. "Yes, I was lined up, but I didn't think it would last longer than the summer. It was probably time for someone else to try. I also feel like I have something unresolved. Of course, it would have been nice to have the opportunity again."
Carrick went on to guide United to third place in the Premier League, securing Champions League qualification and the permanent managerial role. Solskjær added: "When I spoke to United, I also boasted about Michael. 'If you choose him, you will get a good man,' I said. I think he did the same to me."
He continued: "None of us were desperate to get the job. We'd probably be up for the job if they asked. At the time, there was talk of being an interim coach for the rest of the season."
Solskjær also acknowledged that "some of the same problems are still there" from his own time in charge, though he declined to go into detail. "No, you see... Those who watch the team see it," he said when pressed on the nature of the problems. "Those who work behind the scenes know what the challenges are there."
He left the door open to a future return. "If Michael does well for 10 years and decides to quit, and they ask me if I can take them for two months, of course I wouldn't say no," he said. "I've been at that club for 18-19 years, so it's part of the family. But it's not something I'm thinking about."
