Rooney picks ‘the one’ to manage Man Utd as he rules out Xabi Alonso for one reason

Wayne Rooney has picked his preferred option to lead Manchester United on a permanent basis next season and offered his thoughts on the appointment of Michael Carrick on an interim basis at Old Trafford.

United confirmed on Tuesday that Carrick will take charge of the club for the rest of the season the current campaign after Ruben Amorim was given his marching orders earlier this month.

Rooney and Carrick won five Premier League titles together under Sir Alex Ferguson and the former Red Devils striker believes the caretaker boss is “the right choice at this moment in time”.

“It is probably the obvious choice really because I don’t think there are any top, top managers available at the minute,” he said on the latest edition of BBC podcast The Wayne Rooney Show.

“I think it is the right choice at this moment in time.

“It is a difficult task of course. Where Manchester United are at the minute is not a good place and Michael has to go in and steady the ship.”

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Carrick’s short-term appointment grants the United chiefs time to assess who to appoint on a permanent basis in the summer and Xabi Alonso has emerged as a candidate after he was sacked by Real Madrid earlier this week.

But Rooney reckons he will wait for the Liverpool job to become available and instead believes United should be going after Thomas Tuchel, who will lead England to the World Cup this summer.

“Alonso did incredible at Leverkusen and I think you have more chance of him sitting and waiting and hoping with [Liverpool manager Arne] Slot,” Rooney said.

“Tuchel is the one for me. He knows the Premier League, has won trophies. He is doing well at England. Time will tell.”

Rooney insists Carrick’s calm demeanour hides a “fun” side to his personality.

“Michael’s great fun. He is a great character, but don’t be fooled by how calm he looks,” Rooney added.

“He can have fun as well, but make no mistake, he’d be going in there now with full focus.”

United are currently seventh in the Premier League having won just one of their last six games and Carrick’s first assignment is a brutal one as Manchester City travel to Old Trafford on Saturday.

“It is a massive game for the club, for Michael,” Rooney said.

“I think what he will do is bring a bit of calmness, a bit of grit to the game, which I think is needed. It is going to be very difficult, Manchester City are obviously a top team and it will be difficult to get anything out of it even at Old Trafford.

“But as we’ve seen over the years, Manchester United if they do turn up can win the game and hopefully that happens on Saturday.”

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Carrick has chosen former England assistant Steve Holland, Carrick’s ex-Middlesbrough No 2 Jonathan Woodgate, retired defender Jonny Evans and Under-21s boss Travis Binnion to join him on his staff.

And Rooney, who has first-hand experience of Holland’s coaching, insists United fans can expect to see a greater level of “organisation” as a result of him coming into the club.

“I was really impressed him tactically at England, how he worked and his organisation,” Rooney said.

“Steve Holland did all the training, Gareth Southgate didn’t really, he’d be more the manager and Steve took all the sessions.

“I think what they will bring, Michael and Steve, is an organisation to Manchester United and I’m sure we’ll see on Saturday, they’ll be harder to beat.”