RISING EXPECTATIONS: Former Man United midfielder Michael Carrick charged with overseeing club’s lofty ambitions

The 2025/26 instalment of the European Champions League concluded with French side Paris Saint-Germain defeating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties to retain the coveted continental trophy which the Parisians won for the first time a year ago. In the new season, Luis Enrique’s men are once again favourites to reach the latter stages of the tournament and possibly even claim a third successive overall victory. Of course, teams such as Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Arsenal will also be in the conversation of potential champions come this season’s final. Real Madrid can never be written off either, especially considering that they are once again being coached by two-time Champions League winner José Mourinho. Real Madrid head coach José Mourinho. (Photo: Ahmad Mora / Getty Images) Add to that the fact that the 2026/27 final will be played in Madrid and Los Blancos will be extra motivated to win a record-extending 16th Champions League crown.Manchester United’s returnWhile the aforementioned clubs will all be confident that they can at least reach the semi-finals, three-time Champions League winners Manchester United find themselves in a peculiar position. The Red Devils are back in the Champions League for the first time in nearly three years after finishing a distant third behind Arsenal and Manchester City last season.The last time the traditional English heavyweights featured in Europe’s premier club competition was in December 2023, when they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Bayern which eliminated them in the group stage. The Red Devils ended their campaign bottom of a group that also featured Copenhagen and Galatasaray, after recording just one victory, a draw and four losses in six outings. Bruno Fernandes (front) has remained loyal to Manchester United despite their struggles to qualify for the Champions League. (Photo: Michael Regan / Getty Images) At the time Dutch tactician Erik ten Hag was at the helm. Portuguese mentor Rúben Amorim was next charged with breathing new life into the Manchester side. However, his stay was short-lived as he spent just 14 months in the position before being shown the door in January 2026 – just like his predecessors since the departure of Alex Ferguson in 2013. His successor, Michael Carrick, managed to steer the 20-time English champions to a European football berth. This feat saw the promotion of the former Red Devils midfielder from interim boss to full-time manager. Cameroonian Bryan Mbeumo (left) will key for Manchester United’s ambitions this season. (Photo: Carl Recine / Getty Images) Last season United were not present in any of Uefa’s competitions and focused purely on domestic competition. Even in those, they struggled, getting knocked out in their opening match of the Carabao Cup and later from the FA Cup. All the Red Devils could celebrate was a third-place finish that sealed their Champions League participation. Carrick’s ambitionsAlthough it is still early in the 2026/27, the inconsistency that has plagued United since the departure of Ferguson 13 years ago has already shown itself. Three Premier League matches in, the Red Devils have lost one match, drawn another and suffered a defeat in their opening encounter of the league season. On the back of their 2-2 draw against Everton in the league, Carrick expressed his frustration at his team’s mental frailties after they twice relinquished the lead. Manchester United are back in European Champions League for the first time since 2023. (Photo: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA / Getty Images) “We’re bitterly disappointed. To be up in the position we were in in the game twice so close to the end and all the work that went into putting us in that position at different stages, to come away like that is not a great feeling,” Carrick bemoaned.“It feels like a defeat, which is the obvious thing to say at this stage. We have taken a point, we can’t ignore that, but it feels like we should have had a lot more,” the 45-year-old said. The Red Devils will face Sabah, AS Roma, RB Leipzig and Bayern at home in the league phase. They will travel to Atlético Madrid, Cesc Fabregas’ Como team, Sporting and Villarreal. Some of the fixtures for the 2026/27 European Champions League season. (Graphic: Uefa)Carrick played 464 games for United. In that time he won five Premier League titles, the FA Cup, two Carabao Cups, the Europa League and was part of the team that beat Chelsea on penalties in 2007/08 to win that season’s Champions League. The former midfielder believes these experiences will help him succeed at United. Carrick also worked as a caretaker coach at the club in 2021, tasting the demands of being on the Red Devils’ bench during that stint. Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick. (Photo: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA / Getty Images) “I know what it takes to succeed here; my focus is now on helping the players reach the standards that we expect at this incredible club, which we know that this group is more than capable of producing,” Carrick stated.“I have worked with a number of the players already and have obviously continued to watch the team closely in recent years. I have total belief in their talents, dedication and ability to be successful here.” Juggling the demands of winning the club’s first domestic silverware since 2024, as well as challenging for the Premier League (in addition to making a mark in Europe) will be a massive challenge for Carrick this season. DM