Roy Keane has called for Eddie Howe to replace Manchester United’s Ruben Amorim, while Gary Neville has told leaders to “remove risk”, naming Thomas Tuchel as the best choice.
Amorim was sacked on January 5, replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick, who had been at the forefront of the club’s plans to take over as manager on an interim basis before a permanent successor was named in the summer.
Amorim’s departure, 14 months after arriving at the club, makes him the sixth United manager to be sacked since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club, and Neville has now called on leaders to eliminate any form of risk when finalizing his replacement.
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Sky Sports News’ Rob Dorsett gives an update on whether Michael Carrick or Ole Gunnar Solskjær will be appointed interim manager of Manchester United
The shortlist for this summer’s permanent manager is yet to be released, but Keane suggested Newcastle United manager Howe could bring the perfect combination of experience and calm to take the club forward.
Keane told Sky Sports: “I’d choose Eddie Howe. I like him. I like what he’s done. He’s coached a lot of games. When his team gets going, they’ll play good football. He’s got his detractors, but I like what he’s done at Newcastle.”
“He’s managed seven or eight hundred games. He’s still a young player. I love his composure. Maybe Man United need a bit of that.”
“As we saw with the last[commitment]we like people with emotion and he has that calmness. Looking at the job he’s done with Newcastle, the Champions League and winning the cup, I’m happy to see him go there.”
The club have been impressed with their current interim player, Darren Fletcher, with his demeanor in the media and around the Carrington training ground and with the rapid development of his relationships with the team, many of whom are already well known.
But after overseeing a 2-2 draw with Burnley in his first game as an interim manager, Keane quickly ended any talk of a permanent role for Fletcher, who brought his first team to an abrupt end.
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Danyal Khan and Adam Bate discuss Darren Fletcher’s first game as Manchester United manager after draw with Burnley
“Do you think Fletch is the right person to do it? Absolutely not,” he added.
“But he’s trying to do it over the weeks and months. He’ll probably win a few games. If they go with Ole (Gunnar Solskjær), good luck. I wish him the best.”
“We need to bring in a top manager to take control of the changing room.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjær has been contacted about being interim manager of Manchester United
Neville: Eliminate risk and wait for the right person.
Neville echoed Keane’s call for experience in charge, saying the club needed to “de-risk” their next head coach by appointing someone who knows the Premier League well, thrives under pressure and has a proven track record of success.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville said: “They should remove the risk. It’s likely to be postponed for another four or five months, but I don’t agree with that because if you can get Carlo Ancelotti or Thomas Tuchel, a manager like that at the end of the season, you’ll wait for them.”
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Gary Neville wants Manchester United to be stable until the end of the season to give the next permanent manager the best foundation to start building from
“For a long period of time, over 12 years, the football has been really bad. If you look at the appointments made during that time, Jose Mourinho is the only one who meets the club’s standards.”
“Know the league and remove the risk. Have they ever managed in the league and know the game here? Have they ever managed in Europe and done well in the Champions League?”
“Did they succeed and win the title? Can they withstand a lot of pressure, a lot of atmosphere? They have to meet that standard.
“You’re looking at (Carlo) Ancelotti and (Thomas) Tuchel.
“They’ve been in England, won the league, won the Champions League and managed some big players. They won’t be scared in the slightest by anything the pundits say.”
“What I’m saying is, if you think about that criteria, it’s only referring to two or three people.”
Manchester United’s next 5 games
Sunday: Brighton (H) – FA Cup third round, 4.30pm kick-off January 17: Man City (H) – Premier League, 12.30pm kick-off, live on Sky Sports January 25: Arsenal (A) – Premier League, 4.30pm kick-off, live on Sky Sports February 1: Fulham (H) – Premier League, 2pm Kick-off, live on Sky Sports February 7: Tottenham (H) – Premier League, 12:30pm kick-off
