A Manchester United icon thinks Michael Carrick's work on the bench has been good, but that he does not deserve to continue beyond the summer. He also suggests a couple of options to the club that would suit the Red Devils excellently.
Roy Keane, the Manchester United legend, is clear about which managers should be sitting in the Old Trafford dugout instead of Michael Carrick: Luis Enrique or Diego Pablo Simeone.
The 54-year-old former Irish footballer is betting against Carrick's continuity as Manchester United manager next season: "He has done a very good job in terms of results, but no, I would not sign him beyond the summer. I think there are better options."
"I take my hat off to him, but the wins have come without any risk, and he has had weeks off to prepare. If three months ago Carrick had been mentioned as the next United manager, they would have locked us up in a psychiatric hospital. We would have said he wasn't even a candidate to consider.
He has done a very good job, but I think there are better options; it's as simple as that. United should get on with interviewing candidates," he said about the man who, in January 2026, replaced Ruben Amorim.
For Roy Keane, the two candidates to manage Manchester United next season should be Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid) and Luis Enrique (PSG).
"To manage Manchester United, you need someone with much more experience in terms of winning trophies and competing in Europe, and Carrick doesn't have that. It could happen in a few years; then he could be among the candidates, but not now.
You have to go and get the best, and Carrick is not the best option for Manchester United. I would go for Diego Pablo Simeone and Luis Enrique," he made clear on 'Sky Sports'.
"Carrick may have the respect of the dressing room because he is a nice guy. But you must bring a CV with you. I'm not saying he and his team aren't qualified to run the sessions. They are. He has brought experienced coaches with him and has shown he can win football matches; we'll see if he can win titles," he said about Michael Carrick, who played 12 seasons at Manchester United.
Roy Keane also considers that Thomas Tuchel could be a good candidate to manage Manchester United, but his contract with the German national team until 2028 would rule him out as a viable option for the 'Red Devils'.
In short, although Carrick more than fulfilled his role as a firefighter by putting out the fire left by Amorim, for Roy Keane, the interim period is nothing more than a mirage. The demands of Old Trafford are not satisfied with three unbeaten games, but with a winning structure that, in the Irishman's eyes, Carrick cannot offer because he was part of the original problem.
The debate remains open: is loyalty and tactical order enough to manage the biggest club in England, or is Keane right to demand a root-and-branch change that completely cleanses the recent past from the red bench?
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