Jamie Carragher has dismissed Gareth Southgate’s chances of becoming the manager of Manchester United.
Ruben Amorim’s exit at the start of the month has left the Old Trafford club in search of a permanent head coach in the summer, with speculation rife as to the identity of the new man.
Michael Carrick is currently in post until the end of the season and is among the bookmakers’ favourites to hold onto the job on a long-term basis. The former midfielder made the perfect start to his stint, guiding United to a confidence-boosting 2-0 win over arch rivals Man City on Saturday.
Liverpool legend and Sky Sports pundit Carragher does not believe Carrick will be given the reins next season, but it was his rubbishing of Southgate’s credentials that left Monday Night Football guest Thierry Henry stunned.
‘Would you bring Zinedine Zidane back? Although he’s going to get the French job isn’t he?’ Carragher began.
Henry said: ‘We all know where he’s going.’
Jamie Carragher has dismissed Gareth Southgate’s chances of becoming Man Utd boss
Michael Carrick is in post until the end of the season, with United set to make a decision on their long-term manager in the summer
MNF host David Jones then posed Southgate’s name.
‘Oh no… he’s not getting that job!’ Carragher stated.
‘Wow. Wow!’ Henry reacted, laughing.
‘I hope he’s not watching!’ Carragher went on. ‘I just think that club is ‘find a way to win’, the complete opposite to Barcelona.
‘I don’t think there’s those people in the game as much now, what we associate a Real Madrid manager as. A Del Bosque, an Ancelotti. Guys who, I think it’s simplistic to say don’t do much coaching, but almost keep the players happy.’
During his tenure as England manager, Southgate made huge strides in creating a positive environment at the Three Lions camp, where previously club factions had disrupted the national team.
He also mended relations between the men’s squad and the press and guided England to their best competition results since 1966: First, the World Cup semi-final in 2018, as well as back-to-back runs to the final of the Euros in 2021 and 2024.
Carragher outlined the four managers he believes should seriously be considered by the United hierarchy instead: Julian Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel, Luis Enrique and Eddie Howe.
Carragher was presented with 25 names on the latest episode of Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football the list broken down into categories of international managers, those available, and those currently at a club.
They included the likes of Carlo Ancelotti who is Brazil boss, England manager Thomas Tuchel, recently-sacked Real Madrid chief Xabi Alonso and wantaway Crystal Palace man Oliver Glasner.
The former Liverpool defender worked his way through the list, crossing off all but four candidates, giving his reasons as to why he does not think they will – or should – be in the Old Trafford dugout next season.
Carragher made a beeline for Jurgen Klopp’s name, claiming the former Liverpool manager ‘cannot do that’ due to his affiliation with the Reds. The same went for Alonso.
Enzo Maresca was described as ‘a really good coach’ but ruled out by Carragher, while Xavi missed out on the shortlist due to an apparent lack of experience.
Southgate successfully led England for eight years and is available for work
When questioned on the need for experience, he said Ancelotti ‘wouldn’t have the energy and drive to get United up the league’. Didier Deschamps was then crossed out, while Portugal manager Roberto Martinez will have to do something ‘really special’ at the World Cup to be in the running, Carragher said.
Mauricio Pochettino, who has been linked with the United job in the past, was described as ‘similar to Ancelotti’ during his time in charge of Chelsea, with Carragher suggesting he took a more laid back approach to what he had during his time at Tottenham.
Argentina’s Lionel Scaloni was then crossed off because ‘he doesn’t know the league,’ before Carragher turned to Tuchel.
He said the Three Lions boss ‘still has that energy and drive about him’ and has ‘ruffled feathers’ at England, with Carragher suggesting he would ‘go to war’ for his club. He then hailed Nagelsmann’s reputation, suggesting he also has ‘something to prove’.
In terms of managers currently in jobs, Glasner was crossed off due to his regular back three system used at Crystal Palace, which is similar to the one Amorim received criticism for during his time at United.
The leaps from Bournemouth and Fulham to United were deemed too large for Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva to be in contention by Carragher, who suggested ‘the next step for them would be Tottenham.’
Ernesto Valverde was ruled out for similar reasons to Ancelotti, and Roberto De Zerbi was crossed off because ‘he is liable to go to war within about six weeks with the owners.’
Diego Simeone was debated, with Carragher insisting United’s ‘DNA’ is to be an attacking side, but that Simeone is a ‘defensive manager’ and appointing the Atletico Madrid boss would ‘go away from the club’s DNA.’
After Thierry Henry accused clubs of bypassing identifying a direction they want to take when discussing how United may approach the recruitment process, he pleaded with Carragher to cross out ‘one of the next big coaches’ in Cesc Fabregas, as a part-owner of the former midfielder’s current side Como.
Howe was next up, with Carragher praising the Newcastle manager’s style and his ability to handle ‘the press.’
After Real Madrid new man Alvaro Arbeloa was ruled out with ‘no chance of getting it, finally, Carragher crossed out Carrick. He said of the United interim manager: ‘I am not going to change my mind. 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.’
Henry was asked if anyone should be added back to the list, and he suggested that he doesn’t know what United are ‘about’ or what their ‘DNA is.’ Eventually, the pair settled on the four-man shortlist with Henry’s reluctance to put any other names forward.
Carragher finished with saying: ‘I think, if you are Manchester United – everyone will want Luis Enrique – I think there is a good chance they could end up with Thomas Tuchel.’
