Wayne Rooney has made his feelings clear regarding Manchester United's next head coach
Wayne Rooney says it would be a huge risk for Man United to appoint Roberto De Zerbi as head coach.
Wayne Rooney says it would be a huge risk for Man United to appoint Roberto De Zerbi as head coach.
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Wayne Rooney claims it would be a risk to appoint Roberto De Zerbi as the next Manchester United manager and has thrown his support behind former teammate Michael Carrick. The current interim head coach has taken 22 points from a possible 27 since returning to the club.
United are third in the Premier League table and back in contention for Champions League football after a terrible campaign last season. Rooney believes that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's previous stint at Old Trafford is negatively affecting how Carrick is being viewed as a potential permanent appointment.
The former United striker took over the club on an interim basis before being handed the job permanently, only to be sacked in 2021 after losing the Europa League final.
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Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Rooney explained why Carrick should be given the job before naming De Zerbi - one of several high-profile managers linked with the job - as a risk compared to the current United boss despite his previous Premier League experience.
When asked whether Solskjaer's reign has impacted attitudes towards Carrick getting the job on a full-time basis, he said: "Yeah. They are [different humans], and obviously, Michael was part of that group with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as well, and I think Ole actually done OK with Manchester United, got to a Europa League final and was unlucky not to win that.
"[They] Lost on penalties, but, yeah, I think the club has needed rebuilding a little bit, if you like, in terms of trying to get back to the top and back to winning major trophies.
Michael Carrick at a Manchester United game
Michael Carrick has been backed to get the United job on a full-time basis by Rooney(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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"Michael knows, he's been at that club, he was at that club for a long time, he knows what that takes, and, yeah, he's a good manager, I think he's shown that.
"He's shown everyone he has no problem managing at this level, the players have responded to him, the fans are responding to him, so why would you change it?
"Why would you go and try to find someone who is a risk like if you say De Zerbi, it's another one where you're going into thinking this could be a risk and you take another backwards step if that doesn't work, so, for me, (Carrick) has to get it."
However, Rooney's former England teammate Steven Gerrard is a huge admirer of De Zerbi's. The ex-Liverpool midfielder has previously spoken highly of the former Brighton boss, following Ethan Nwaneri's loan move to Marseille.
Roberto De Zerbi
Rooney thinks someone like Roberto De Zerbi poses a 'risk'(Image: Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates /Getty Images)
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Speaking on TNT Sports about the loan move, Gerrard said: "I love it, I love it. I think, if this works that everyone can be a winner from it.
"I think Mikel Arteta has been extremely clever here because he’s sending him to De Zerbi as well, who has got a track record for improving players, and he will give him the time and education and development and he’ll get more game time playing for Marseille.
"If he gets, samples the league, samples the experiences like tonight it’s not going to do him any harm. He’s a top talent, and now he’s got to go and get experience and this will be great for him for the future."
De Zerbi would leave the Ligue 1 club just a few weeks later but has been linked with the vacant managerial positions at both United and Tottenham Hotspur, but has ruled out a return to management before the summer.
The likes of Oliver Glasner, Luis Enrique, Andoni Iraola and Julian Nagelsmann have also been mentioned as possible candidates for the United job.