Manchester United icon Roy Keane has delivered a stark assessment of caretaker manager Michael Carrick's credentials, suggesting he lacks the necessary football knowledge to guide the club to Premier League title glory in the long term.
Keane's Candid Podcast Assessment
The former United captain, speaking on The Overlap podcast, acknowledged Carrick's impressive start since taking temporary charge at Old Trafford but expressed significant reservations about his readiness for the permanent role. Carrick has won his first two matches against Manchester City and Arsenal since succeeding Ruben Amorim, propelling United to fourth place in the Premier League table.
"Being caretaker manager is a different animal to being manager of United trying to win league titles over the next two, three, four, five years," Keane stated emphatically. "So Michael Carrick is going to be the manager of Man United? He hasn't got enough experience. I don't think he'll have enough football knowledge."
The Title-Winning Standard
Keane made clear that United's ambitions should extend far beyond mere top-four finishes, emphasising that the club's historic stature demands championship success. "Forget top four or top five over the next few years," he declared. "I'm on about winning titles. That's where Man United have to be."
The Irishman did leave room for Carrick to prove him wrong, saying: "If he goes in and proves me wrong and starts competing and winning titles, I'll say, 'Tell you what. Unbelievable'." However, he maintained that the timing appears premature for Carrick to assume permanent control at one of world football's most demanding clubs.
Neville Advocates for Proven Experience
Fellow United legend Gary Neville, who hosts The Overlap, supported Keane's cautious approach, suggesting United should pursue a world-class manager this summer rather than appointing Carrick permanently. Neville pointed to the developmental path taken by other successful managers as a preferable model for Carrick's career progression.
"If you're going to manage one of the biggest clubs in the world, and handle the pressure that's going to be thrown at you, you have to have years of experience," Neville argued. He highlighted Mikel Arteta's apprenticeship under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City as an exemplary preparation model for top-level management.
A Proposed Alternative Path
Neville proposed that Carrick could benefit from serving as assistant to an established winner before potentially stepping up to the top job in future seasons. "If say Luis Enrique, Thomas Tuchel or Carlo Ancelotti came in and Michael was there for two or three years with that person and then stepped up, that for me feels right," he suggested.
The former defender expressed concern that appointing Carrick permanently after limited managerial experience could set him up for failure. "My concern is we're going to end up watching one of our own again go through some form of crash in the next 18 months," Neville warned. "The wheels will turn, we've seen this movie before."
Immediate Success Versus Long-Term Vision
Despite Carrick's perfect start, which includes victories over the Premier League's top two sides, both pundits emphasised the distinction between short-term caretaker success and the sustained excellence required to win championships. United's rise to fourth position ahead of Sunday's home fixture against Fulham has sparked discussion about Carrick's potential permanent appointment, but Keane questioned whether this should be the determining factor.
"United should definitely be fourth or fifth unless the wheels come off, so just doing that means you should become the manager of Man United?" Keane asked rhetorically. "If you'd asked us four or five weeks ago who the future manager of United would be, Carrick wouldn't have been mentioned."
Neville concluded with a clear recommendation for the club's hierarchy: "Manchester United should get the best-in-class manager they can in the world that's available in the summer and appoint that manager right now." This stance reflects the high standards both former players believe are necessary to restore United to their former dominance in English football.
