How would Man Utd sell taking job off Carrick if he gets Champions League?

What Manchester United are trying to do is reconnect with what the club is supposed to be. That is a brand of attacking football that Michael Carrick clearly was part of and understands completely - and, through the formations he played at Middlesbrough, is in line with.

United felt Carrick could be a coach on the training ground and lead the coaching team. There was a feeling Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was more of a watcher of sessions rather than a leader of them - though the Norwegian may argue against that.

At the moment, it feels like United are a mess but they think the whole team around Carrick can deliver the relative success of European qualification.

Oliver Glasner - who's contract is up at the end of the season and who's obviously done very well at Crystal Palace and at Eintracht Frankfurt - may be someone United look at.

But let's wind forward... if Carrick qualifies Manchester United for the Champions League and Glasner gets knocked out of the FA Cup by non-league Macclesfield, gets knocked out of the Conference League and then finishes 13th in the Premier League, how do you sell the appointment of Glasner when you're taking the job off Carrick?

As for the transfer window, United have stressed for months they would only buy in the window if that player was part of their bigger picture.

I can see Joshua Zirkzee going - but for him to go, someone has to come in.

You can understand completely why United don't want to deviate from a bigger picture when they have had so many bad signings. But if you need results, you need players who can deliver those results.

Listen to more reaction to Carrick's appointment on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast