MANCHESTER UNITED will be hoping to have a new permanent manager installed before the start of next season.
The Red Devils have been without one since Ruben Amorim was handed his P45 back in January after a mere 14 MONTHS in charge.
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Manchester United have been without a permanent manager since sacking Ruben Amorim in January Credit: PA
Michael Carrick has been holding down the fort on an interim basis Credit: GETTY
Michael Carrick has been at the helm on an interim basis ever since the Portuguese’s sacking and will be in contention to be permanently given the reins if he guides the club to a top-four finish.
But the United brass are also weighing up a potential swoop for Andoni Iraola.
The Spaniard is set to be a free agent at the end of the season following the expiration of his contract with Bournemouth.
United chiefs are understood to have been impressed by what Iraola has achieved on the south coast, with reports claiming he’s the “strongest candidate” to fill the void left by Amorim.
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Michael Carrick will be in contention to get the job on a permanent basis if he continues the team’s current run of good form Credit: GETTY
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is also in the frame to fill the Old Trafford vacancy Credit: GETTY
Red Devils fans around the world are now fiercely debating which man would be better suited for the job.
And JattvibeSport is on hand to go through the pros and cons of either appoinment.
Carrick Pros
Continuity and dressing room stability
The potential permanent appointment of Carrick would mean the players wouldn’t have to get used to a new style of play and coaching.
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It would also preserve the current feel-good factor that the former Red Devil has cultivated since the sacking of Amorim.
Additionally, Carrick already has the respect of the players and has managed their individual egos well during what has been a period of instability.
Successful system in place
Carrick’s utilisation of a 4-2-3-1 formation has worked wonders for United, who won nine of their first 13 matches under his tenure.
The team’s continued good form suggests that what he’s doing day in and day out in training is trumping the proverbial “new manager bounce”.
Ability to adapt
Carrick has had several defensive crises during his brief reign, which he’s successfully navigated by changing from three at the back to a back four.
That’s the type of adaptability that will be required in a season in which the team will be fighting on four fronts.
Michael Carrick has early signs of being a potential future Premier League manager Credit: Alamy
Carrick Cons
Limited experience
Barring his interim stint at Old Trafford, Carrick doesn’t have that much pedigree. Just over two years in charge of Championship side Middlesbrough isn’t the type of experience required to manage one of the biggest clubs in the world.
And he has no experience of managing in Europe whatsoever, something he’ll be required to do if United finish within the top six.
Repeating the Solskjaer mistake
Carrick’s former team-mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was given the reins in October 2019 after winning 14 of his first 19 matches as interim manager.
But his impressive 73.6 win percentage would drop to 52.3 per cent after his permanent appointment. His status as a club legend undoubtedly led to the brass keeping him around for longer than they should’ve.
And it’s not beyond the realms of possibility of a similar emotional permanent appointment of Carrick ending the same way Solksjaer’s did.
Sentimental short-sightedness
Giving the gig to Carrick based on a six-month purple patch as opposed to a prolonged assessment of the entire package he brings would be foolish, to say the least.
While he’s shown great poise and potential promise, United need someone who is a proven commodity as their next gaffer after the ill-fated Amorim experiment.
Carrick beat Solskjaer to the United job Credit: Reuters
Iraola Pros
Ready-made blueprint
The Spaniard has already deployed a system that’s proven to be successful in the Premier League during his time at Vitality Stadium.
The Cherries have played nothing but attractive, fast and high-pressing football since his appointment.
And it resulted in them achieving their record points haul, 56, and a ninth-place finish in his second season in charge.
Proven overperformer
The 43-year-old has shown in each of his three seasons in charge of Bournemouth that he can get the best out of and improve players, and on a shoestring budget.
Guiding the Cherries to back-to-back record points hauls, 50 and 56 respectively, in his first two seasons is a testament to that fact.
And his troops could actually set a new points haul record if they win two and draw two of their last four games of the season.
No club ties
Being a manager with no ties to Old Trafford, other than his visits there as Cherries boss, would put Iraola in a position to be a lot more ruthless than United legend Carrick.
Andoni has brought an fast-paced and entertaining style of play to Bournemouth Credit: REX
Iraola Cons
Adaptation period
Although he has a proven system, it’ll take time for United’s players – several of whom are likely to leave – to adapt to the demands.
He’ll also, as new managers always do, have to form fresh relationships with the current crop of Red Devils and learn how to get the best out of each individual.
No Champions League experience
Like Carrick, Iraola will walk into the Old Trafford dugout with no experience in Europe’s elite club competition if he’s given the job.
He does, however, have more European pedigree than Carrick having managed 12 matches in the Europa League during his time in charge of Cypriot side AEK Larnaca.
