Carrick closing in on first major accolade after incredible City, Arsenal triumphs

Manchester United interim head coach Michael Carrick has been nominated for the Premier League’s Manager of the Month award for January 2026. The club confirmed the shortlist on their official website. Supporters are able to vote via the official Premier League poll. Carrick only oversaw two league fixtures in January following the departure of Ruben Amorim. The impact, however, was instant. United took maximum points from the toughest possible tests. United’s first victory came in the Manchester derby. Carrick set his side up aggressively to control the tempo. This resulted in a 2-0 win, courtesy of goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu. Three goals were ruled out for marginal offsides, though. This, therefore, shows just how comfortable the performance was on a day that felt like a turning point for the squad. Why Carrick made the shortlist On the other hand, the away trip to Arsenal was chaotic in a good way. United won 3-2 at the Emirates Stadium – with goals from Mbeumo and Dorgu once again, as well as Matheus Cunha – against a team that had not lost a single Premier League match at home all season. These back-to-back triumphs earned Carrick a place on the four-man January shortlist. The list includes Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth), Liam Rosenior (Chelsea), and Sean Dyche (Nottingham Forest). Supporters have until 12:00 GMT on Monday 9 February to cast their vote. The final outcome will be decided by a combination of fan polling and an expert panel. The winner is due to be announced on Friday 13 February. This not only gives Carrick the chance to collect a personal prize, but it also allows him to build on his ‘new manager bounce’. Premier League context for February Carrick’s transformative start has also made things very interesting at the top end of the table. Arsenal are still leading after 24 matches. Manchester City are close behind. Followed by Aston Villa. Meanwhile, United are currently sitting in fourth. Chelsea and Liverpool, however, remain right on United’s heels. Every fixture, therefore, is essentially a final in the race for Champions League qualification. The Red Devils began February with a dramatic 3-2 home win over Fulham. They now face Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Saturday. After that, an away trip to West Ham United on Tuesday night awaits. This award nomination is a welcome headline for Carrick, but United need to build real momentum now. If they maintain the standards shown against the top two and keep gaining traction, then the ‘new manager bounce’ can become a genuine title charge. Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Okari Wambunya Okari Wambunya is a football writer at The Peoples Person, covering Manchester United with fast, accurate, and source-led news, analysis, opinions, team developments, injuries, press conferences, and matchday reactions. A former secondary school teacher, he now coaches college football (not soccer) and continues to support young people through academic mentoring and youth work. He holds a BA (Hons) in English from Brunel University London and an MA in Education from King’s College London, with experience across digital journalism and broadcast sports media. Okari first praised Michael Carrick in a blog post he wrote at 16-years-old in 2014; over a decade later, United appointing Carrick as interim head coach feels like a full-circle moment.