Darren Fletcher has taken over the role previously occupied by Manchester United caretaker manager Michael Carrick on matchdays.
Technical director Fletcher was in the dugout for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s last match as manager at Watford and the 37-year-old stepped up into a more senior first-team coaching role at Villarreal and Chelsea last week.
Fletcher wore an earpiece in both matches so he could communicate with the United analysts, a task previously assigned to Carrick when Solskjaer was the manager.
At Chelsea, the combative Fletcher regularly aired grievances to the fourth official, incurring the wrath of the nearby home supporters.
Fletcher is involved in training sessions at United’s Carrington training complex but has watched some matches from the press box with the analysts and the directors’ box. It is unclear if Fletcher will continue in a senior coaching role when Ralf Rangnick starts as interim manager.
“Me and Fletch, we go way back and we have fought many battles on the pitch together and get on really well,” Carrick said. “So yeah, he has been a big support.
“Of course, we have all changed roles to an extent this week and he has been on the bench doing the role I was doing previously and it’s worked very well.
“We think the same way, have similar mentalities about how we approach the game, so it’s worked really well.
“The rest of the backroom team that people might not be aware of, the support and the way that they have stuck together has been incredible and I am really grateful for that.”