Two United legends offer harrowing prediction for Michael Carrick, fans will be fuming

Manchester United legends Gary Neville and Roy Keane have delivered their verdicts on whether Michael Carrick should be given the opportunity to become the club’s permanent manager. Carrick has made a profound impact on the club in his first two matches as interim head coach, leading Manchester United to a 2-0 win over Manchester City before securing a shock 3-2 away win at Arsenal. Given his emphatic performances so far, there has been significant discussion among fans and pundits about Carrick potentially becoming United’s next permanent manager. Both Neville and Keane have given their views on Carrick, which may come as a surprise to many United fans. Keane and Neville speak out “Being caretaker manager is a different animal to being manager of United trying to win league titles over the next two to five years,” Keane explained on Sky Sports’ Stick to Football podcast. “So Michael Carrick is going to be the manager of Manchester United? He hasn’t got enough experience. I don’t think he’ll have enough football knowledge. I’m not saying Michael Carrick can’t be a top manager, but the timing for him to be manager of Manchester United in the summer? I don’t see it,” Keane admitted. This view strongly echoes Keane’s previous statement following the Arsenal game, where he insisted that the team needs a manager with more experience. More surprising, however, was Neville’s opinion. Having largely credited Carrick for United’s impressive win over Arsenal, the former United captain appears to have made a complete U-turn in his assessment of the interim manager. “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 said in the same podcast. “I do think that being a manager at Manchester United after four months and a couple of years at Middlesbrough is setting Michael up for failure,” he admitted, clearly sharing Keane’s view that the former United midfielder does not have enough experience to fill the permanent role. “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.” While Keane and Neville may agree with one another, they seem to be creating quite a conflict among former United players regarding their views on Carrick. Conflict erupts If there is one person who seems to completely disagree with Neville and Keane, it is fellow United legend Rio Ferdinand. After United’s emphatic win over Arsenal, Ferdinand hit out at those who claim that Carrick is not deserving of an opportunity to compete for the permanent manager’s role. “The disrespect is unbelievable,” he exclaimed. Ultimately, it might take a few more matches to truly gauge whether Carrick is worthy of the opportunity to become United’s next head coach. Given the team’s excellent performances on the pitch under Carrick, with the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Patrick Dorgu given a chance to shine, the interim head coach’s progress will certainly be thrilling to watch. Featured image Carl Recine via 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 Mathew Cohen A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.