Jacobs reveals why Man Utd made U-turn on interim manager with Fletcher now set to stay with first team

Manchester United decided to drop Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in favour of Michael Carrick for the interim role, while Darren Fletcher could be destined to linger with the seniors.

The club has been in a state in turmoil since sacking Ruben Amorim a week ago. The Portuguese was initially replaced by Fletcher , who has been acting as Man Utd’s U18 head coach since the start of the season.

Whether or not the Scotsman was hoping to be confirmed until the end of the season remains anyone’s guess, but any aspirations he may have had were certainly crushed by Sunday’s FA Cup defeat at the hands of Brighton.

In any case, United were already planning to replace Fletcher with a more experienced profile, with Carrick and Solskjaer considered the ultimate favourites for the role.

At first, Solskjaer was said to be closer to getting the job. However, Carrick gained ground on his former teammate, emerging as the ultimate favourite on Monday morning.

(Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images)

This afternoon, a host of reliable sources have confirmed that MUFC have indeed reached an agreement with the former midfielder, who is set to be announced as interim manager until the end of the season on Tuesday.

In his appearance on The United Stand , Ben Jacobs explained the reasons that prompted the Man Utd officials to switch their focus from the Norwegian to the Englishman.

While Fabrizio Romano had insisted that Solskjaer didn’t care about contract details , Jacobs claimed that the 52-year-old had high hopes of securing a permanent role if he were to qualify for the Champions League at the end of the season.

Moreover, Solskjaer reportedly requested the signing of a few technical collaborators to join his technical staff.

On the contrary, Carrick had much more realistic expectations, realising that his chances of securing a permanent role were highly unlikely, instead focusing on solidifying his place in the race for other Premier League vacancies next summer.

Moreover, the 44-year-old, who had made a strong impression in his interview with MUFC officials, expressed his willingness to work with the figures already present at the club, including Fletcher, who could remain with the first team.

Finally, Carrick is hoping to work alongside Jonathan Woodgate, who acted as his assistant during his stint at Middlesbrough, but whether the latter joins him or not won’t be a deal-breaker.