Neville urges United to look for permanent boss despite resurgence under Carrick
Manchester United have rocketed up the table since the arrival of Michael Carrick, but one club legend isn´t convinced his teammate is the permanent answer.

The turnaround at Old Trafford has been nothing short of miraculous. Michael Carrick returned to Manchester United as interim manager and sparked a revival of the Red Devils, but another United legend is not yet convinced Carrick is man for the job in the long term.
United continue charge up table
Carrick took over on the touchline after Ruben Amorim was dismissed in January. Since then, United have won five of six league matches including Monday’s 1-0 away win at Hill Dickson Stadium. Benjamin Sesko was subbed on by Carrick in the second half, and scored the game winning goal to propel his side into the top four.
Following the match, Gary Neville shocked some on Sky Sports´s Monday Night Football show claiming that Carrick may not be the long term solution that the club needs. “Manchester United have to pursue another manager right now around the fact that you don’t know how the results are going to go,” said Neville. “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.”
🚨🗣️ BIG ONE | Gary Neville on Manchester United’s managerial decision: “I'm not against the permanent appointment [of Carrick], I love him, but I think United should choose the best available manager.
— SportsDeeva (@Blesing_Andrew) February 23, 2026
“They've had two young and inexperienced managers in their last two choices.… pic.twitter.com/vlEVgyDX3r
The top four seemed like a distant dream for United before the turn of the new year, but under the direction of Carrick there seems to be a sense of belief in the dressing room, and a reinvigorated passion among the fanbase that has been desperately searching for something to believe in for the last few years.
Neville on Carrick: I love him to bits
Neville, who captained United in his playing days, played with Carrick and didn’t discard the possibility of the current interim manager earning the full time job should these results continue.
“If he gets United into the Champions League there will be a lot of fever around that should be appointed,” Neville added. “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.”
ON THIS DAY: In 2008, Manchester United beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties to win the Champions League.
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 21, 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo won the first of his five #UCL trophies. 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/JXcVSsRffN
Neville and Carrick shared a dressing room at Old Trafford from 2006 until 2011 and won four league titles and a Champions League title in the 2007/2008 campaign. Now it’s up to Carrick to get United back to the top international tournament. Should he do that, it could be enough to keep Carrick put for the longterm according to Neville.
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