Carragher picks next Man Utd manager with Xavi one of four bosses ‘sounded out’
Man Utd should appoint former Barcelona boss Xavi to succeed Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, according to Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher.
The Red Devils sacked Ten Hag on Monday morning with Ruud van Nistelrooy confirmed as the interim manager while the Premier League club look for a new permanent successor.
There has been weeks of speculation leading up to this point with rumours of various managers being talked to by Man Utd as they line up a new manager.
And the Daily Mail have revealed that four managers have now been ‘sounded out’ with details also emerging of how Ten Hag was sacked on Monday morning.
The report claimed:
‘Former Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez, Brentford manager Thomas Frank, Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim and ex-Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic are believed to have been sounded out.
‘Ten Hag was in the dark over his fate until Monday morning, when he was called to meet with CEO Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth. Sources say the meeting with “respectful and dignified”.’
Joking about giving the job to Sky Sports colleague Gary Neville, Liverpool legend Carragher insists Xavi would be the best candidate with former England manager a tough sell to fans.
Carragher said on Sky Sports: “I’d give it to Gary Neville! It looks like they’re talking to Xavi, from Barcelona. He was one of my favourite players, I think he’s the best Spanish player of all time.
“He’s managed Barcelona, he was seen as the next Pep, even as a player they thought he’d be a great manager. He lost his job but still won La Liga against an Ancelotti-managed Real Madrid.
“Yes he’s out of work at the moment, which makes it easier. There’s a link between someone on the board and Xavi, there’s been some reports there’s been talks in the last few days.
“I’m not sure what Man Utd can do right now, I don’t think the fans would buy Gareth Southgate, but I don’t think Xavi would be a bad appointment.
“He’s got huge status as a player, that doesn’t make you a great manager but it does give you instant respect on the training pitch.
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“There’s no-one in that dressing room who has won more than him, and he has been a manager of a huge football club and had success. He’s won a league and a cup, up against Carlo Ancelotti. He’s not got a bad CV.”
Man Utd reportedly held talks with former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel before he become the new England manager and Carragher thinks the Red Devils “missed a trick”.
Carragher added: “I think they missed a trick not getting Thomas Tuchel. I go back to Liverpool appointing Jurgen Klopp and keeping Brendan Rodgers a long time ago.
“He was in a similar situation to Ten Hag, when the board weren’t sure whether to keep him or get rid of him.
“They decided to keep him, then decided to change things in the October international break when Klopp was available. I don’t know, but maybe there was method in the madness knowing Klopp was there.
“One of the reasons I thought they kept Ten Hag was knowing there was a manager who wanted a break over the summer, recharge his batteries and wasn’t sure what they wanted to do.
“I thought that might be Thomas Tuchel, and they were lining him up like Liverpool did with Klopp.
“Then England come from nowhere to take him, and now Man Utd have changed Ten Hag now. I thought it might be something in the back of the minds of the owners in the summer.
“I said after the Liverpool game there was no way Ten Hag was going to last beyond the November internationals. It was impossible, that situation. The ownership should’ve saved themselves a lot of money and made this decision in the summer.”
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