Jamie Carragher has outlined a four-man shortlist of managers he believes Manchester United should target at the end of the season.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher stressed that United need a “special” appointment if they are to return to title contention, playing down the prospect of caretaker boss Michael Carrick being handed the job permanently.
The managerial opening comes after Ruben Amorim’s torrid time at the club came to a close, with Michael Carrick taking the job until the end of the season.
Carrick found instant success with a 2-0 triumph over title-chasing rivals Man City, ending Pep Guardiola’s side’s 13-game unbeaten run and putting a dent in their pursuit of leaders Arsenal.
Despite beating Man City 2-0, few expect Carrick to win the job full-time, and Carragher has outlined the need for someone ‘special’ to lead the club.
“I’m crossing out Michael Carrick,” Carragher said.
“Do I believe this guy can win the league? I have to believe he can.
“I don’t believe Man Utd will win the league with Carrick, or Chelsea will with Liam Rosenior. I’m not trying to be disrespectful, but you have to be special. I might be proven wrong.”
That belief led Carragher to focus on a small group of elite managers he feels meet that standard.
Thomas Tuchel
The current England manager seems like a long shot, especially since he is yet to take charge of the nation in a major tournament after signing a contract just over a year ago.
Carragher claims the German has ‘something about him’, and stressed the importance of his knowledge of the Premier League from his time with Chelsea.
He also praised Tuchel’s tenacity, saying: “He just feels like he would go to war for your club, and he’d be fighting against the other clubs.”
Tuchel’s success in the Champions League with Chelsea would also make him an attractive prospect for United. They would first have to get back into the Champions League, though, and it feels unlikely that Tuchel would abandon England after such a short stint.
Luis Enrique
The current PSG boss is fresh off bringing the club its first-ever Champions League title.
Carragher was full of praise for the Spaniard, calling him “the best manager in Europe.”
Enrique’s contract runs until 2027, and it’s hard to see why he would leave such a perfect position to come in and take on the rebuilding project that Man United have been since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.
With a sparkling coaching resume including the aforementioned PSG alongside Barcelona and the Spanish National Team, Enrique certainly would provide that ‘something special’ United are searching for, but their current lack of pull leaves this move looking more like a dream than a reality.
Eddie Howe
The current Newcastle boss’ contract length is unknown, but with his own side struggling and below United themselves, this could be a more realistic alternative.
Carragher spoke on the importance of being able to handle the pressure that comes with running one of the world’s top clubs, and said: “When you’re in Newcastle, and you live in that city, it’s constant and he handles it brilliantly.”
“Where I think he could also help is that Manchester United have a problem with young players – a lot of them don’t go on to fulfil their potential – but I think Eddie Howe is a great coach.”
Howe has the experience of turning a struggling Newcastle into perennial contenders for the Champions League spots, and their recruitment has proved to be much more strategic than that of United, despite similarly mammoth budgets.
The contract remains the big obstacle here, and Newcastle won’t give up their prized possession easily. Still, if this gets over the line, then it could be the perfect fit.
Julian Nagelsmann
Carragher confessed his unfamiliarity with the Germany boss, claiming: “I don’t know everything about him, but I do look at a coach with a big reputation, with a lot to prove in some ways.”
Nagelsmann has lots of experience at the club level, having managed TSG Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig, and Bayern Munich, earning his plaudits as one of the Bundesliga’s best coaching minds.
The pull, or rather the lack of pull for United, once again raises uncertainty around whether they would be able to pry Nagelsmann away from a big-time job.
Other options, including currently tenured English Premier League names such as Oliver Glasner and Andoni Iraola, were thrown around, along with the likes of Xabi Alonso and Diego Simeone.
Ambitions are as high as ever on the red side of Manchester, but with so many trying and failing, two things remain certain: United need one of the world’s best coaches to turn this around, but the hard part will be convincing one of them to join what has become such a disorganized project.
