Manchester United have fallen into a familiar trap. Ruben Amorim departed shortly after Enzo Maresca left Chelsea, who have since appointed Liam Rosenior on a contract running until 2032. United, however, have turned to an interim appointment in the form of their former midfielder, Michael Carrick.
Ironically, few clubs have more experience with interim managers than Chelsea. Roberto Di Matteo famously won the UEFA Champions League in 2012 after stepping in as interim manager, while Rafael Benitez followed with a Europa League triumph a year later after taking over from Di Matteo.
Recent memories, however, paint the role less favourably for Blues fans. Frank Lampard and Guus Hiddink both held interim positions in the last decade and struggled to improve form. Lampard’s brief tenure saw his side win just once in 11 matches.
Following Maresca’s departure, Chelsea moved quickly to appoint Liam Rosenior. Considering the length of the Englishman’s contract, there is an indication that the club has moved away from short-term fixes.
Ralf Rangnick, made interim manager at Old Trafford in November 2021, typifies the downsides of the role better than most. The Austrian was unable to turn results around, with performances showing little improvement under his stewardship.
Now manager of the Austrian national team, Rangnick is viewed as a victim of poor leadership above him. He consistently advocated structural change, but the nature of his interim position meant he was never able to exert lasting influence. United’s problems were deeper than tactics; culture needed to change.
Solskjaer, by contrast, was a breath of fresh air when he was hired as interim manager in 2018. His interim spell stands as one of the most successful in recent memory. Before being handed the role permanently, the club legend recorded a 74% win rate.
The reason for that success was context. United’s primary issue at the time was morale. The end of Jose Mourinho’s reign had left the dressing room fractured, and in the short term, restoring belief was enough to unlock a squad capable of winning. Solskjaer proved the perfect appointment.
Solskjaer remains the defining example of what an interim manager is meant to be. The role exists to boost morale and galvanise a squad low on confidence, often in the midst of a poor run of form. With a contract lasting only until the end of the season, an interim manager can rarely make a big enough impression to deliver real change.
The decision to hire an interim is therefore situational. Manchester United, currently in a transitional phase and in need of cultural clarity, require more than a short-term fix. Chelsea’s efficiency highlights the difference in ambition and decisiveness at the leadership level. United, despite opting against the Norwegian, have deliberated their way back to a remarkably similar solution to the one they reached seven years ago.