Carrick aims to lead Manchester United to victories against all top six Premier League teams, striving to secure a permanent appointment! He emphasizes having the best record in England since taking charge.

As the season draws to a close, each Manchester United match seems to be a trial regarding manager Carrick's continuity. His status declined after last week's defeat to Leeds United, but after beating Chelsea on Saturday night, he regained his place as the celebrated figure.

Carrick remains the hottest candidate for Manchester United's manager next season; in fact, the competition isn't fierce, as most top coaches like Ancelotti, Tuchel, and Luis Enrique have already withdrawn from contention.

The impressive recent form of Bournemouth's departing Andoni Iraola, and Crystal Palace's Oliver Glasner potentially adding another Europa Conference League trophy, have boosted their momentum. Thus, United's loss to Leeds United last week sparked speculation about Carrick's future.

A defeat at Stamford Bridge would surely have fueled more rumors, but United's resilient victory with a makeshift defense at this away ground speaks volumes. After the match, Carrick smiled broadly, unusually celebrating passionately before the away fans and warmly embracing Casemiro.

This win was clearly significant for Carrick. It also extended his impressive record in major matches. Immediately after taking charge, he led the team to victories over Manchester City and Arsenal, followed by consecutive wins against Aston Villa and Chelsea. In the first two games, United capitalized on counter-attacking spaces left by opponents' attacks, but against Chelsea it was different.

Lenny Yoro's unexpected pre-match injury heightened Carrick's challenge. He had to improvise a defensive line; while the clean sheet involved some luck, tactically Carrick's setup succeeded. United's ball control can improve, but off the ball players were very proactive, especially in arrangements targeting Cole Palmer's passes, which played a key role.

Carrick now has the chance this season to complete a full set of victories for United against top-six teams—though Chelsea risks losing sixth place. However, Brentford, currently below them, is precisely United's next home opponent, while Liverpool will visit Old Trafford in early May.

Arsenal, Manchester City, United, Villa, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Brentford currently lead the Premier League standings. If Carrick can defeat all except his own team, calls for him to receive a long-term contract will undoubtedly not be ignored.

Of course, losing two of the previous four matches also reminds Carrick he needs to improve, avoiding tactical solutions by opposing coaches, especially against mid- and lower-table teams. To achieve long-term success at United, he indeed needs enhancement in tactical variety and timely in-game adjustments.

After beating Chelsea, Carrick denied claims of extra pre-match pressure and reiterated that since his appointment in January, his team has been the league's best-performing side, without exception. This may indicate his current confidence.

"First, the pressure has always been high; bouncing back after Monday's loss was important," Carrick said. "Losing isn't the end of the world, so we were fine. We learned from the defeat and discussed some issues. That's football, that's the Premier League. You've seen surprising results vary. So we weren't discouraged by it."

The United manager concluded: "We reviewed previous matches; I believe United is either top or near the top in results over the last 12 games. So we gained great confidence, and everyone knew this game's significance. The team wasn't overly tense;恰恰相反, we didn't talk much nor discuss positions, points, or anything else. We came here to win and gave our all, and the lads finally did it."

United likely won't decide the next manager before season end, giving Carrick more room to prove himself. If he can beat Liverpool and secure Champions League qualification, his 17-game managerial record would undoubtedly be excellent.

Carrick's former United midfield partner Owen Hargreaves believes not making Carrick permanent would be utterly absurd. "Carrick understands United's players, perhaps why he can manage, and he knows the pressure of playing for this club," Harg told TNT Sports. "He places players in positions where they perform best, improving them in every aspect. So, giving him the chance to prove himself, he surprisingly achieved ideal results, yet not granting him further opportunity would be too absurd."