Carrick not ‘ideal’ but easy for Man Utd as Carragher U-turns after naming ‘perfect’ manager in March | OneFootball

Liverpool agent Jamie Carragher doth protest too much as he declares Michael Carrick the ‘ideal’ manager for Manchester United. He had it right in March when he named a Premier League alternative as the ‘perfect’ fit.

Carrick has all-but secured Champions League football for United after taking interim charge following the sacking of Ruben Amorim in January.

He’s won nine and lost just two of his 13 games in charge, making it very difficult for co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS bosses to look beyond him as the long-term solution at the club.

Reports have claimed Ratcliffe would prefer a more ‘alpha’ coach and after Gary Neville suggested his former teammate could walk away before proposing Julian Nagelsmann as an alternative.

But Carragher, in his Telegraph column, has dismissed Nagelsmann as his ack of availability in the summer to discuss plans and transfers at Old Trafford due to his World Cup commitments with Germany represents an ‘immediate red flag’.

There will be a similar problem with regard to Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti, who’s ‘not the right fit’ in any case as ‘his genius has always been about handling a squad of superstars and keeping a winning machine functioning’.

Carragher admits that United should ‘do everything possible’ to hire Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique if he ‘suddenly’ became available, but then rather skirts over two perfectly viable and superior managers before claiming ‘offering Carrick a two-year deal would give the United hierarchy the space needed to reassess if, or when, more attractive “blockbuster” candidates become available’.

There is recognition from Carragher that Andoni Iraola is ‘of interest’ after reports revealed he’s the ‘strongest candidate’ aside form Carrick to take the reins at Old Trafford, but he offered no opinion on the soon-to-be-available Spaniard. Why is he not a better option than Carrick? He employs tactics and everything.

And Aston Villa boss Unai Emery – whom Carragher himself said should be on the United shortlist a few short weeks ago – has now been waved away as an option on the basis of there being ‘no indication he’s on the agenda’.

They could just put him on the agenda, Carra. There’s no chance he’s turning down a move to United if they pushed for him.

Carragher believes Carrick is the ‘ideal choice’ because he’s got a ‘good relationship with the players’, made the genius ‘tactical switch’ to play Bruno Fernandes in his best position and because of a supposed lack of ‘box-office managers’.

It sounds rather like Carragher is proposing the easy choice rather than the ideal one for Man Utd in what could be perceived to a prejudiced bid to restrict the progression of Liverpool’s bitter rivals.

He got it right the first time – Emery would be the ‘perfect coach to revive Man Utd’.