Keane makes brutal Carrick claim after Man Utd beat Arsenal: ‘I still wouldn’t be giving him the job’
Roy Keane wouldn’t give Michael Carrick the permanent job at Man Utd even if the interim boss won “every game from now until the end of the season”.
After beating arch-rivals Man City in the Manchester Derby a week earlier, Carrick led the Red Devils to two wins in two by beating Arsenal 3-2 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Goals from Bryan Mbeumo, Patrick Dorgu and Matheus Cunha gave Man Utd all three points and moved them above Liverpool and into fourth place in the Premier League.
Carrick has been given the job until the end of the season at Old Trafford but there are rumours that he could be in contention for the permanent role if he continues to impress in his short-term gig.
But Keane thinks Man Utd were helped out by Man City and Arsenal having midweek games but credited Carrick’s side for their energy.
Keane told Sky Sports: “I think it helps if you’ve got your best players available. That’s a big plus for them, people like Harry Maguire coming back in, you’ve got your attacking options.
“The fact is that City had a big midweek game, Arsenal had a big midweek game. All these little details do help.
“The one thing you would say with United is that, in these last two performances, they’ve certainly played with a lot of energy. They’ve had that look about them.
“All the talk during the season was that United have no real distractions, but when I was watching them in the games it looked like they had loads of distractions, they weren’t playing on the front foot or with that energy.
“The last couple of performances, they’ve looked that way and certainly their confidence and belief, even from the first few minutes today, there was something about them.”
However, Keane doesn’t think the Man Utd hierarchy should reward Carrick with the permanent job at Old Trafford, even if he wins every match until the end of the season.
On Carrick’s start to life back at Man Utd, Keane added: “Two big results.
“I think if United win every game from now until the end of the season, I still wouldn’t be giving him the job.
“I just think they need a bigger, more experienced manager. Simple as that.
“Carrick could win every game. The timing coming into the job was fantastic for him and he’s said it there, he’s enjoying it.
MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
* Man Utd and Carrick show succeeding Amorim to be simplest job in football
* Arsenal take first big step to bottling the Premier League title as Man Utd thrive in nervy Emirates
* Carrick reveals what Solskjaer said after missing out on Man Utd job; ‘boring’ Amorim sessions revealed
“You enjoy management when you’re winning football matches, of course, but I think the size of the club and the challenges they face over the next few years… you want a manager you feel will come in and get Manchester United winning league titles.
“Are we all going to sit here and think Michael Carrick will get Manchester United winning league titles? If you think on the back of two wins that he warrants the job then that’s your opinion and I’m entitled to mine.
“I don’t believe he’s the man to get Manchester United back winning league titles.”
Gary Neville was more willing to give Carrick praise for the job he’s done so far since taking over but the Man Utd legend reckons he should hand the “baton” over to Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti or another more experienced manager at the end of the season.
Neville said: “He’s a really good person, he was a fantastic football player, he’s understated, he’s composed and he will not get too high or too low.
“A few weeks ago, before the first game, I think everybody in football thought that a really successful thing would be for Michael Carrick to hold the baton for the rest of the season, put some happiness back into the players and fans, get the performance levels and try and get them into Europe – and if he does that, hand the baton over.
“That was what everyone was thinking three or four weeks ago.
“Manchester United have acted emotionally a number of times in these last 10-12 years. Honestly, I could not be happier about these last two weeks. The familiarity of what I’m watching feels like I’m watching my team play again, properly.”
Neville added: “Forget the fact they’ve won the games, they’ve just played the game properly, how I would expect them to play, with the intensity and energy and quality.
“So I think it’s right that Michael Carrick keeps the job until the end of the season and hands the baton over to a Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti, someone of that world-class ilk. That’s what his job is now.
“Michael is an unemotional guy. He will realise that what I’m saying here is something that I said two weeks ago.”
