“An outstanding candidate”: Gary Neville makes case for two-time CL winner as United’s next manager

Manchester United have gone from strength to strength under caretaker manager Michael Carrick, but not everyone is convinced he should be handed the permanent job. The Red Devils sacked former head coach Ruben Amorim in mid-January following a poor run of results and appointed the Englishman as his temporary replacement until the end of the season. The Premier League giants wanted Carrick to see out the season before a permanent manager is handed charge of the first team this summer. However, the former midfielder has inspired an extraordinary upturn in form, helping United climb to third in the Premier League after 30 games. 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 2026Present971177.8 Total–14872265048.6 Source: Wikipedia. The Red Devils have seven wins and a draw from nine games under the Englishman. With the team firing on all cylinders and Champions League qualification in sight, there have been calls to make Carrick’s stay permanent. However, United legend Gary Neville begs to differ and has now named three managers his former side should appoint instead. Premier League-proven names Speaking on Off The Ball, Neville insisted United must sign one of Carlo Ancelotti, Thomas Tuchel or Luis Enrique as their next permanent manager. He said: “When Michael got it, I was quite clear that Manchester United should still go and get the very best that they can in the world to take the club on in the next few years.” “I’m still of that opinion. However, it gets harder by the week when Michael, to be fair, is delivering the performances and results that he is. The reason I say that they should still pursue the best manager in the world is that the last four managers at United: Ole, Ralf Rangnick, Erik ten Hag, and Ruben Amorim have been what I would say potentially great managers rather than great managers.” “They’ve not been at that top level. None of them managed super clubs with the scrutiny at the level of United. I felt that a few months ago, and I don’t think we should come off track because of eight, nine, ten results.” “Ultimately, there should be a Luis Enrique, Carlo Ancelotti or Thomas Tuchel. People who’ve lived at that highest level with the highest level of pressure and scrutiny who will attract the best players in the world to the club. Now, what I would say is the more that Michael does and the more the team play, it’s getting more difficult to sort of keep that opinion. But for now, I would still keep that.” While Tuchel has already extended his stay with England, recent reports have suggested that Carlo Ancelotti is all set to sign a new deal with the Brazil national team. Meanwhile, Enrique powered Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to a historic treble last season and it is believed that he is also in line for a renewal. Neville went on to add that if United fail to sign any of the three, Carrick could be considered for the full-time job. He said: “If Manchester United can get an Enrique, an Ancelotti, and a Tuchel, then they should appoint that manager. If they can’t and they’re going a layer below that, I think then that Michael comes into play and maybe could get the job.” Neville’s choice for the job Ancelotti, Enrique and Tuchel all have experience of managing in the Premier League and have also won the Champions League. Neville, though, named the Spaniard as his ideal candidate for the job, stating: “I think Enrique is one that, ultimately, has achieved unbelievable things at PSG, and obviously at Barcelona.” “He’s not done England yet. Does he want to do what Pep’s done? Which is take on a different sort of country and win leagues. So he would be an outstanding candidate.” Final Thoughts There is no doubt that Enrique could be a fantastic choice for the permanent position at Old Trafford, but INEOS will also have to take a realistic approach to the situation. If neither of the three established managers are available, it may be hard to look beyond Carrick, especially if he manages a strong end to the campaign. 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.