Carrick and Slot Face Uncertain Futures as Manchester United Edges Liverpool 3-2

Key facts

• Manchester United beat Liverpool 3-2 on Sunday.
• The win secured United's place in next season's Champions League.
• Liverpool need three points from their remaining three games to guarantee Champions League qualification.
• Michael Carrick has won 10 and drawn two of his 14 games as interim United manager.
• Arne Slot's Liverpool have lost 11 Premier League games this season.
• Liverpool's major signings Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitiké and Florian Wirtz have started only one game together due to injuries.
• Diogo Jota's death has affected the Liverpool squad, with players likely years away from fully understanding its impact.
• Carrick is expected to be offered the permanent United job.

A Derby of Diminished Stakes

Sunday’s edition of the famous rivalry felt like the least important in years, except for the uncertain futures of both managers. Manchester United’s 3-2 win sealed their place in next season’s Champions League while, barring very odd swings of goal difference, Liverpool need just three points from their remaining three games to be certain of their own qualification. For both, the biggest issue now is deciding who manages them next season – and this was a ragged enough game to cast doubts over the suitability of Michael Carrick and Arne Slot for their respective sides.

Liverpool's Troubled Campaign

Nobody could pretend Liverpool have been good this season – they have lost 11 Premier League games, and were utterly outplayed by Paris Saint-Germain in the away leg of their Champions League quarter-final defeat. Most obviously there was the death of Diogo Jota. It will probably be years before players are able properly to understand the impact his death had on them and perhaps longer still before they can begin to articulate what it was, but it would be extremely unusual if grief had not affected at least some of the squad. But there were also football reasons to anticipate this season would not be straightforward for Liverpool.

Slot's System Under Strain

The last campaign was odd. They won the title when nobody expected them to, having made only one senior signing the previous summer, and by the end of the season there was a sense that they probably needed five or six new players. Not only that, but Slot himself was beginning to talk about opponents having worked out his approach. It’s not untrue to say it was the final hurrah of Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool, but equally Slot had them play in a more reserved, conservative fashion. The old approach tempered by something new produced something extremely potent.

Injuries and Recruitment Hinder Progress

Any side making five major signings and changing style is taking a risk. It will always take time for the new system to bed in, and Liverpool were hampered by two factors: that it took them so long to get the Alexander Isak deal done and that they’ve suffered such misfortune with injuries that the big three purchases – Isak, Hugo Ekitiké and Florian Wirtz – have been able to start only one game together. It’s not entirely apparent what the plan was but, equally, it’s never been possible to put it into practice.

Key Players' Form Slumps Compound Woes

At the same time certain key players – Mohamed Salah, Alexis Mac Allister, Andy Robertson, Ibrahima Konaté and, to an extent, Virgil van Dijk – have suffered downturns in form. Slot has not been without blame but it doesn’t seem unreasonable to think that a manager who won the league in his first season might be afforded an off year given the mitigating circumstances. Unless, that is, Liverpool have an outstanding candidate already lined up to replace him.

Carrick's Interim Success Raises Questions

If Liverpool have questions to answer, the sense is that United have an answer to question. Carrick arrived as an interim manager but has won 10 and drawn two of his 14 games in charge. At first glance, that looks exceptional, but United’s early exits from both cup competitions and their lack of European football has meant that they are much fresher than almost every opponent they have faced in his tenure. Has the football been so stunning to convince directors that he can reproduce that with Champions League involvement next season? Apparently so – he is expected to be offered the job.

The Uncomfortable Decision Ahead

Really the question comes down to his work around the training field, how the players feel and the impression he has made within the club. And yet the case for him is not overwhelming: he’s managed to achieve the precise level of success to make the decision as hard as possible. It feels probable at this stage that Carrick and Slot will still be in charge when United and Liverpool next play each other but it’s perfectly possible to make a case that neither should be.

The bottom line

• Manchester United's 3-2 derby win secured Champions League qualification but did little to resolve doubts about interim manager Michael Carrick's long-term suitability.
• Liverpool's 11 Premier League losses and Champions League exit to PSG highlight a season marred by grief over Diogo Jota's death, key player slumps, and injury-hit new signings.
• Arne Slot's conservative tactical shift after Jürgen Klopp's era produced a potent but fragile system, and opponents have begun to work out his approach.
• Liverpool's major signings Isak, Ekitiké and Wirtz have started together only once due to delayed transfers and injuries, preventing Slot's plan from being tested.
• Carrick's 10 wins and two draws in 14 games are impressive but were aided by United's lack of European and cup fixtures, leaving doubts about his ability to handle Champions League demands.
• Both clubs face a difficult managerial decision: stick with incumbents whose cases are not overwhelming, or risk upheaval in a crucial summer.