Roy Keane speaks bluntly about Michael Carrick's future at Manchester United

Roy Keane expressed a rather firm stance when asked whether Michael Carrick deserves to be given the permanent head coach position at Manchester United.

Manchester United just rediscovered the joy of victory after the loss to Newcastle by defeating Aston Villa 3-1 on March 15th. This is the latest win for the team under Carrick's guidance, who has contributed to United's clear improvement in form with 7 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss.

However, Keane remains unconvinced by the 44-year-old manager and believes there are still better options for this role. When asked if he would give Carrick the permanent job, Keane replied succinctly: “No… I think there are better alternatives out there.”

The former Irish captain then analyzed Carrick's tenure more closely, suggesting that United's results partly stem from favorable circumstances, including a long preparation period and matches not being truly decisive.

“Regarding winning matches, I think he has done very well. He clearly simplified things, but those games didn't have too much pressure,” Keane said.

“They had three weeks to prepare for the matches. The timing when Carrick took over was quite favorable, and he did very well. I fully acknowledge that. If he gets the job this summer, then I can only say: good luck.”.

Nevertheless, Keane emphasized that United should aim for a higher-caliber choice for the long-term head coach position.

“But I think there are much better options for United's next manager. If someone mentioned Carrick as a candidate for the hot seat at United three months ago, that person would probably have been considered too unrealistic,” Keane said.

At that time, we didn't even consider him a real candidate. But thanks to the right timing, he got the chance to perform well… Still, I think there are better options out there.”

When discussing the names he would like to see appointed as United's permanent head coach, Roy Keane mentioned two top strategists.

The first is Diego Simeone, head coach of Atletico Madrid. Simeone has led the Spanish capital club since 2011 and helped them win two La Liga titles. The other name is Luis Enrique, coach of Paris Saint-Germain, who has recently emerged as a potential candidate for the hot seat at Old Trafford.

Last season, Enrique helped his team achieve a quadruple, including the Champions League.