Michael Owen warns Man Utd board they MUST appoint Michael Carrick - with Red Devils told why they should avoid Thomas Tuchel & Mauricio Pochettino

The axe fell on a Portuguese coach at Old Trafford after he failed to deliver an upturn in fortune for Premier League heavyweights, with stubborn refusal to tinker with a favoured 3-4-2-1 system ultimately proving to be Amorim’s undoing.

Darren Fletcher briefly took over on a caretaker basis, having been promoted from the U18 ranks, before reins were handed to former United midfielder and ex-assistant coach Carrick. He has overseen a run of four successive victories, with that sequence of results firing the Red Devils into contention for Champions League qualification.

Questions have been asked, by the likes of Roy Keane, of whether Carrick should be handed a full-time contract regardless of how United finish the season. Many are of the opinion that a more experienced head should be sought - such as those currently calling the shots with England, Brazil and the USMNT ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Former United striker Owen - speaking in association with casino.org , where he is now the UK ambassador for the online casino comparison site - told GOAL when asked what the Red Devils should do when filling their dugout: “I think Manchester United will do the right thing and not just kneejerk in saying ‘give Michael Carrick the job tomorrow’. But, if he qualifies Manchester United for the Champions League and we see the continuation of these performances - obviously it is going to come to an end at some point - the most impressive thing is the way that they are playing. They are playing well. That Manchester City game, I have never seen Manchester United play like that for more than a decade in a one-off game.

“That has continued. They have played very well since. You can see the confidence. I know a lot of people have said you can’t give Michael Carrick the job regardless. I cannot disagree more.

“Manchester United, over the last decade or so, have tried absolutely everything. They have gone for born winners, for proven, for ex-players, the next new thing from different countries, the old head. They have gone for everything. The one manager that could - we are guessing, on the assumption that he continues - all of a sudden it looks like he is getting a tune out of the players, the crowd are buzzing, the confidence is flowing, it looks like there is a stability, he gets the club, he has got the right demeanour, he is a proper guy that has done it the tough way. Imagine if he qualified for the Champions League and did so well and they said ‘thanks for the job Michael, now we are going to employ someone else’ and Manchester United go back to what has happened for the last 10-12 years. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot! It’s under your nose.”

Owen, who savoured Premier League title glory with United in 2010-11, went on to say: “Michael won’t thank me for saying it, but he is a perfect option. He is going to come cheap, Manchester United’s finances aren’t in the best position at the moment, so here’s a guy who lives there, understands it, family is in area, no problem with settling, no problem with the language, no problem with anything, he is there and waiting and you could probably get him for a fraction of the price of any other manager. You also don’t have to buy him out of any other contract.

“Also, some of these managers that people talk about, they are all at the World Cup. If you were going to employ them, you are going to finish the World Cup and have about a week or two before they go and start.

“This is a big job that needs a lot of planning. Here’s somebody that is there, that can start having these conversations, not now but in the coming weeks and months. I cannot disagree more with some saying ‘regardless, he shouldn’t be here’. I can’t understand that.”

Carrick will be looking to make it five wins in a row, allowing viral fan The United Strand to get a long-awaited haircut, when the Red Devils take in a trip to relegation-threatened West Ham on Tuesday. A decision on long-term managerial plans will be made at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.