Manchester United’s top brass have been warned that they won’t be able to show their faces in public if they snub Michael Carrick for the permanent Old Trafford job – and the club fails under his successor. The damming prediction comes courtesy of ex-United striker Michael Owen, who believes Carrick is a shoo-in for the Old Trafford hot seat on a permanent basis and it would be “ridiculous” for the club to consider another candidate.
Carrick took charge of United on an interim basis after Ruben Amorim was sacked in January. The 44-year-old has taken charge of 12 Premier League fixtures, winning eight, drawing two and losing two. He currently has United in third place after United beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday night.
His average of 2.16 points per game is the equivalent of 82 points over a full campaign. Naturally, Carrick remains the odds-on favourite to be United’s head coach next season.
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Former England striker Owen cannot fathom a scenario in which Carrick isn’t offered the position on a permanent basis, despite United being linked with names such as PSG coach Luis Enrique and Real Madrid hero Zinedine Zidane.
Owen, who now represents Casino.org, a leading platform helping players find UK casino brands, exclusively told MEN: “I would give [Carrick] the job, 100%. Manchester United have faltered for years, like for a dozen years now.
Michael Carrick looks to be leading Manchester United back to the Champions League next season(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
“It’s been really painful for Manchester United fans, I’m sure. All of a sudden, Michael Carrick has come in and has done really, really well, and won a load of games, and in fact, if you started the league when Michael Carrick took over, Manchester United are top of the league.
“Why on earth wouldn’t you [offer him the job]? What’s going through anybody’s head if you wanted to change it? If they’d been brilliant for so long and it was just an interim thing and you’re just so confident that no matter what manager came in, then fantastic.
“Bear in mind some of the great managers they’ve gone through everything, ex-players, legendary managers, serial winners, you know, they’ve gone through the whole lot, the whole shebang and nothing really has worked. And now all of a sudden they’ve found something that’s working, they’re getting better. Why on earth would they switch now?
“Imagine if they said, ‘Right, thanks for your work, Michael. Now we’re going to go with somebody else.’ And it was back to the c*** that Manchester United fans have seen for the last 10, 12 years. You wouldn’t be able to come out of your house. Whoever made that decision won’t be able to.
“It’d be the most ridiculous decision ever. I just cannot, for the life of me, understand why. What’s the worst that can happen? Michael Carrick can start next season, lose 10 games on the spin, and you can say, ‘Right, okay. It was a honeymoon period. It’s not working.’
Michael Owen has weighed in on Michael Carrick’s future(Image: PA)
“Well, that’s the worst that can happen. But the best that can happen is they continue the way things are going. And, as I say, they’re top of the league, if they continue this for another 20-odd games, they win the league.
“It’s like, Man United, about six months ago, were a million miles away from it. A million miles. Now, I’m not saying Man United are going to win the league, but I tell you what, if they just continue what they’re doing now [they could find themselves in contention].”
Carrick is currently in his second stint as United’s temporary boss after briefly taking charge in November 2021 following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking. Owen believes the former United midfielder has saved the club from a period in the wilderness, even preventing them from falling into something resembling the relegation trouble Tottenham Hotspur has endured this season.
“They could have been another Tottenham,” he added. “So, why on earth would it even be a question that Michael Carrick’s not going to get the job? It baffles me why there is a debate. I can’t understand why ex-players are also against it. I think it’s a no-brainer.”
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