Man Utd interim boss Michael Carrick told tough task he needs to complete to even be in contention for permanent job by ex-Red Devils team-mate

Carrick has enjoyed an incredible start to life at Old Trafford since taking over from Amorim in an interim capacity. He has guided United to four wins and one draw since stepping into the dugout, with the club currently sitting in fourth, one point clear of fifth-placed Chelsea. United are also just five points behind Aston Villa in third, and 12 behind leaders Arsenal. Now, former United defender Mikael Silvestre has told his old team-mate exactly what he needs to do to earn the job on a permanent basis.

Mikaël Silvestre was speaking to Sky Bet: “Michael Carrick will be considered for the job if he maintains that Champions League spot, and if the players believe in what he’s doing. He’s in the best position right now because it’s a long interview process for the permanent role.

“Every training session and every game is an opportunity for him to show his worth. He’s got nothing to lose because he came in as a caretaker. He knows the dressing room, the players, and the club, and that gives him an advantage over someone coming from outside.

“If you’re talking about a long-term project, he’s a young manager and you can expect him to keep evolving and developing. He’s put himself a great position with his results, but he needs to stay focused and keep working.”

Carrick has made Kobbie Mainoo a major part of his United rebuild, bringing him back in from the cold into which he had been banished by Amorim. 

He has started every single one of Carrick's games in charge thus far, and Silvestre has credited the England international for his comeback, adding: “It was obvious that Ruben Amorim preferred playing Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, and he saw Kobbie Mainoo as more of a replacement for Bruno. That meant there wasn’t really room for him in the team.

“Credit to Kobbie though, because his level never dropped - it was just the choices in the starting 11 that made it difficult for him to play. Now it’s different, and the good thing is that he never stopped working. When he got his opportunity, he showed he could go 90 minutes and impact games as if he’d never left the team. Credit to him for staying positive and not giving up.”

Carrick won Manager of the Month for January, and took the time to credit his coaching staff, and playing staff, for returning United to form.

He added: “I think it’s about everyone: it’s about the staff, the coaching staff, the backroom staff, and the players definitely. It shows that we've had a good start, which is very pleasing.”

“The boys have been good,” Carrick continued. “It’s not easy with change and to click into gear and to perform the way they have done in different types of games has probably been as pleasing as anything. 

“Obviously the first two games, in some ways, they take care of themselves because of the emotion and how everyone’s kind of up for them but the games after them have been, for me, just as good to see the boys’ reaction and the quality of the play.

“Going into those games, it was challenging and then, three days before the City game [me and the staff] come in… again, that's why I credit the players for putting themselves forward really, and reacting to change.

“But certainly those two games give you a massive boost of all sorts of emotions to use moving forward, which was the key.

“After those games are done, it’s what happens next and that's what I've been really delighted with, the reaction after that.”

United play Everton away from home next Monday. If they are to keep pace in the race to qualify for the Champions League, they need to win.