The first week of 2026 brought major managerial upheaval, with Chelsea sacking Enzo Maresca on New Year’s Day, followed just four days later by Manchester United’s dismissal of Ruben Amorim.
Maresca had lifted the Club World Cup – his second trophy with Chelsea – just six months earlier, making his abrupt dismissal all the more surprising, despite reports of a rift with the hierarchy.
By contrast, Amorim had been under pressure for months, with many United fans believing he should have gone after last season’s 15th-place finish and the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham.
With little time to find replacements, Chelsea turned to Liam Rosenior from sister club Strasbourg, while United brought in Carrick for a second spell after his brief 2021 stint.
Both appointments raised eyebrows given Rosenior and Carrick’s limited top-level experience, but the early signs have been promising.
Rosenior’s first assignment was an FA Cup tie away at Charlton Athletic, which he navigated easily, overseeing a 5-1 win.
Carrick was handed a baptism of fire to kick off proceedings with a derby against Manchester City.
After a cagey first half, the Red Devils came alive after the break to claim a 2-0 win over City and hand Carrick a dream start.
Since taking over, Rosenior had also lost the first leg of a League Cup semi-final against Arsenal before making his Premier League debut at home to Brentford.
Chelsea were not at their best but did enough to secure a 2-0 victory, the first of a four-game league winning streak.
Buoyed by his derby triumph, Carrick then led United to a 3-2 win at league leaders Arsenal, further boosting his reputation.
Wins over Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur have since followed for Carrick, and it was no surprise he was nominated for the Manager of the Month award.
Carrick has guided United to four consecutive league wins for the first time in two years.
While he has some way to go to match Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s record of 29 points from the first 33 available, his appointment is proving a masterstroke.
Rosenior, also up for Manager of the Month, became just the fourth permanent Chelsea boss to win his first four league games after beating West Ham United 3-2 from being 2-0 down at half-time.
He has also overseen two Champions League wins from two, including a thrilling 3-2 triumph at Napoli to seal Chelsea’s place in the last-16.
A record of seven wins from nine in all competitions has silenced early doubters, although tougher tests surely await Rosenior before the end of the season.
For both Carrick and Rosenior, Champions League qualification remains the ultimate goal – and their current form suggests they are on the right track.
If Carrick guides United to a return to Europe’s premier club competition, he could very well rethink his earlier stance of not wanting the job on a full-time basis.
