Michael Carrick’s chances of getting the Manchester United job on a permanent basis seem to have been given a slight boost – judging by the all-time Manchester United goalscorer Wayne Rooney’s comments. (Wayne Rooney has 208 Premier League goals, which puts him in third place as the all-time top scorer)
Carrick took temporary charge of United in January, replacing Ruben Amorim at the helm.
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United won six of their first seven games under the former midfielder, and played themselves into the Champions League qualifying places.
A 2-1 defeat to ten men at Newcastle last Thursday was their first real failure under Carrick, and Sunday’s Premier League home game against Aston Villa is likely to be an important indicator of where United actually stand in terms of performance level and mentality.
It was reported that when Carrick was appointed interim manager, United management had made plans to hire a new head coach on a permanent basis in the summer. Oliver Glasner, Andoni Iraola and Roberto De Zerbi are currently among the favourites to take over.
Some United fans, on the other hand, interpreted the appointment of former England manager Steve Holland as Carrick’s assistant as a sign that the club may be planning for the arrival of Gareth Southgate.
BBC Sport reported earlier in March that Carrick is now firmly on the shortlist to be appointed as the next manager – although it remains to be seen whether he is the favourite.
However, Rooney has given an insight into one potential aspect of United’s decision-making process in the latest episode of ‘The Wayne Rooney Podcast’.
He says that ‘everyone’ at the club ‘loves’ Carrick, explaining: “Everyone is scared, right? Gary Neville, or Roy [Keane], or Scholesy as well, they want a manager like a Carlo Ancelotti or a Luis Enrique.
“I think people who have been to the club, they’re just scared.
“Everyone at Manchester United loves Michael Carrick. I don’t think anyone has a bad word to say about him.
“They’re just afraid that things won’t go well. He’s done an incredible job.”
Another of Carrick’s former teammates, Michael Owen, added: “There are a lot of English managers who are doing quite well at the moment.
“Carrick is doing well. Lampard is doing well. Rosenior has been given the Chelsea job.
“All of a sudden there are some young English managers in the game.
“You look at Ruben Amorim. You give someone a managerial job on the basis of having done well in their own country over a very short period of time. There are managers who would do just as well if they went out and managed teams in other countries.
“But it’s impossible for a young English manager to come in and do an Amorim-like thing in his own country. Firstly, you will never get a chance.
“But he [Carrick] has a much better chance of leading at a level he knows.”
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