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MAN UNITED HOPING FOR NEW MANAGER BOUNCE AS MICHAEL CARRICK TAKES REIGNS AT OLD TRAFFORD

Michael Carrick takes charge of his first game as Manchester United’s caretaker boss with the club looking for a ‘new manager bounce’ after sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to Watford was the end of the road for the popular Solskjaer, leaving United with only three wins in their last 11 games and conceding goals at an alarming rate.

Here, we look at how United’s managers since Alex Ferguson’s retirement have fared in their early games.

The Norwegian was also appointed on a caretaker basis initially, succeeding Jose Mourinho in December 2018.

He quickly set about securing the job permanently, winning his first eight games in charge with 22 goals scored along the way – including an opening 5-1 win over Cardiff – in a welcome contrast to Mourinho’s defensive style.

While he failed to replicate that over the course of his near three-year reign, a similar initial impact from Carrick would be more than welcome.

Mourinho also started brightly, with four successive wins after arriving for the start of the 2016-17 season.

That run even included a trophy, courtesy of a 2-1 Community Shield win over Leicester in his opening game.

It quickly gave way to a three-game losing run, though, including a derby defeat to Manchester City, and he struggled to win over the fans during his two-and-a-half years in charge.