Zinedine Zidane smiling.
Zinedine Zidane has been linked with the Manchester United job. (Image: Getty Images)
Jamie Carragher has pinpointed the four managers he believes Manchester United should be eyeing for their next appointment, and has named his top pick from a list of 25. Michael Carrick began his temporary tenure at United with a 2-0 victory over Manchester City on Saturday. Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu propelled Carrick's side to just one point behind fourth-placed Liverpool.
The ex-midfielder is set to leave at the end of the season, with the club planning to appoint a permanent head coach. However, the triumph over City has already sparked discussions about Carrick taking on the role full-time. Several managers have been linked with the 2026/27 vacancy, and it's anticipated that United have already begun the process of finding a permanent replacement for Ruben Amorim.
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On Sky Sports, Carragher looked at 25 potential successors for the United job. The list featured Zinedine Zidane, Brazil's Carlo Ancelotti, England's Thomas Tuchel and former Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso.
Carragher methodically went through the list, ruling out Gareth Southgate, Andoni Iraola, Oliver Glasner and Xavi. By the end of his analysis, only four candidates remained: Julian Nagelsmann, Tuchel, Luis Enrique and Eddie Howe.
Discussing Howe, he expressed: "I'm a huge fan of Eddie Howe. I think the type of football that you see from Newcastle at their best - high energy, pressing and in the future - that's not just Manchester United, that's a lot of top clubs and how they want to play.
"The real big thing I like about Eddie Howe is how he handles the press, you've got to be able to handle the press as a Man United manager, it's the club that's on the back pages more than any other club in this country.
"Newcastle, we probably don't think it from the outside, but when you're inside Newcastle and you live in that city, that is just a constant thing and he handles it brilliantly.
"What he also does that I think would really help Man United, they have a problem right now that no matter who they bring in, player-wise, a lot of them fail and they don't go on to realise their potential. I think Eddie Howe is a great coach."
Jamie Carragher
Jamie Carragher went through the Manchester United candidates. (Image: Sky Sports)
When asked about United's next move, he added: "If you're Man United, I think everybody would want Luis Enrique. They would have watched how PSG played last year. We're talking about a guy who has won the Champions League twice.
"I don't think they'll get Luis Enrique. I think there's a good chance that they end up with Thomas Tuchel."
Despite a dream beginning against City, Carragher dismissed Carrick's credentials. "I am not going to change my mind," he said.
"I always think this when a Liverpool manager is appointed: Do I believe this guy can win us the league? It doesn't mean he will do it, but I have to believe he can.
"I don't believe Manchester United can win the league with Michael Carrick as manager, or Chelsea can win the league with Liam Rosenior as manager. I am not trying to be disrespectful. I am giving my honest opinion of what I feel and what they have done in the past.
"You have to be really special. Think of the managers who have won the Premier League, 99 per cent of them are special, and I think Michael Carrick lacks that. I might be proven wrong, but that is why I will take Michael Carrick out of that."
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