“The right option”: Neville outlines crucial advice for United in hunt for new manager following Everton win

Manchester United secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday, 23 February, in the Premier League. Benjamin Sesko came off the bench and scored the winner in the 71st minute to secure all three points for the visitors. The Red Devils are now fourth in the Premier League table after 27 games, three points clear of fifth-placed Chelsea, and three points adrift of third-placed Aston Villa. United have been in rejuvenated form since Michael Carrick took charge as caretaker manager following the dismissal of former head coach Ruben Amorim in January. In the six games under the Englishman, the Red Devils have picked up five wins and a draw, and are playing exciting, attacking football. The Premier League giants have also registered three clean sheets during that time, while previously managing just two in 20 games under Amorim. United have scored 12 goals in six games since Carrick’s arrival, and conceded just five, displaying a new resilience that was perhaps missing under the Portuguese head coach. Pursuing a top-four finish There is now a real belief that United can secure a top-four finish this season, which could have a positive impact on their summer plans. Meanwhile, the Red Devils are also expected to appoint a permanent manager this summer, with several names already on their wish list. Michael Carrick Managerial Career Stats TeamFromToGames PlayedGames WonGames DrawnGames LostWin % Manchester United (caretaker)21 November 20212 December 2021321066.7 Middlesbrough24 October 20224 June 202513663244946.3 Manchester United13 January 2026Present651083.3 Total——14570264948.3 Source: Wikipedia.Carrick’s stunning start has also made him a possible candidate for the role, especially after several leading candidates have distanced themselves from the job. Thomas Tuchel has signed a new deal with England, while Carlo Ancelotti is expected to extend his stay with the Brazil national team. Luis Enrique is also on United’s radar, but all signs indicate that he will extend his stay with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). That leaves the likes of Oliver Glasner, Xavi, Roberto De Zerbi and Andoni Iraola among the options available for the Premier League giants. Given the team’s resurgence under Carrick, there have been several calls to appoint the Englishman as the permanent manager. The grit and determination shown by the team at the Hill Dickinson Stadium have only strengthened Carrick’s position. However, club legend Gary Neville still believes that United should look elsewhere for the role. United should target best in class manager Speaking on Sky Sports, as cited by the Standard, Neville said: “Manchester United have to pursue another manager right now around the fact that you don’t know how the results are going to go.” “But little things like Thomas Tuchel re-signing with England does start to take away the options for Manchester United and they don’t harm Michael’s chances of getting the job.” “If he gets United into the Champions League there will be a lot of fever around that should be appointed. I’m not against him being appointed, I love him to bits. But I think United should go for the best class of manager available.” “They’ve had young and inexperienced managers in the last two picks. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has come in before as an ex-player and that didn’t work in the end. So I feel removing as much risk as possible is the right option.” Final Thoughts United have until the summer to come to a decision regarding their next permanent manager, although Carrick is making it very hard to look elsewhere. The Red Devils will be wary of their previous experience with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who also promised a lot during his reign but ultimately failed to deliver trophies. However, optimists will point out that the club now has a better structure behind the scenes compared to the Norwegian’s reign, which could help Carrick sustain his spectacular start should he get the permanent job. Featured image by James Fearn/Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.