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Roy Keane has admitted he "hopes" Michael Carrick is handed the permanent Manchester United job, marking a surprise softening of his stance on the interim boss.
While the former captain remains skeptical about whether Carrick can deliver a league title, he conceded his former teammate has "took advantage" of the role. However, Keane urged caution, warning fans that recent wins do not solve the club's long-term issues.
Keane 'hopes' for Carrick appointment despite doubts
United legend Keane has offered a surprising show of support for Carrick, stating that he hopes his former teammate secures the Old Trafford hot seat on a permanent basis. Speaking on The Overlap podcast, Keane appeared to backtrack on his previous assertions that the club needed to look elsewhere, admitting that the 44-year-old’s impressive start to life as interim boss has altered the conversation.
Carrick has enjoyed a blistering start to his tenure, securing high-profile victories over Manchester City and Arsenal. The results have evidently resonated with Keane, even if the pundit remains professionally torn on the decision.
"I hope they give it [the permanent job] to him," Keane said. "I hope they give it to him in the summer. I don't think it's the right decision, good luck with it. Yeah, but, I'm sticking to my guns. I've said my piece, I think that he's got the job, and if he gets it in the summer then you go 'listen, good luck to him'."
The difference between caretaker and champion
Despite his personal well-wishes, Keane was keen to differentiate between the short-term impact of a caretaker manager and the gruelling demands of a permanent appointment. The former United skipper warned that while Carrick has stabilised the ship, leading the club to a Premier League title requires a different skillset entirely.
"As a caretaker manager, it's a different animal to being manager of United trying to win league titles over the next two, three, four, five years, whatever it might be," Keane explained.
He maintained his belief that, objectively, the club could aim higher in their search for a long-term successor. "I think you can get a better manager than Carrick, absolutely. But I think he's doing a good job, perfect timing for him."
'Sliding doors' and the Van Nistelrooy comparison
Keane drew parallels between Carrick’s current situation and that of Ruud van Nistelrooy, who also enjoyed a successful interim spell at the club following Erik ten Hag's sacking. After Ruben Amorim was appointed, Van Nistelrooy left and ended up taking over as Leicester coach, overseeing their relegation to the Championship. The Irishman noted that regardless of whether United offer Carrick a permanent deal, his reputation will be significantly bolstered in a similar fashion.
"Even if he doesn't get the United job, these results a bit like Ruud [Van Nistelrooy], he can get another job, probably another Premiership manager," Keane observed. "But just because you're doing well at United, it doesn't mean he'll do well at another club. He's got the players back, it's all been sliding doors moments. Great for him, and he's took advantage of it."
A word of warning on defensive frailties
True to form, Keane refused to get swept up in the euphoria of recent results. While he acknowledged the "excellent" attacking football that put Arsenal to the sword, he was quick to highlight the defensive vulnerabilities that were exposed during that same match.
"It's still only two games," Keane warned, urging supporters to temper their expectations. "United beat Liverpool earlier in the season. They've found ways to win games of football before. It's definitely been better, but let's see over the next few months and the next year or two. Let's not get carried away. The attacking play has been excellent, but they gave up two goals at Arsenal."
With two wins from two under his belt, Carrick will hope to further boost his standing with the United fans and his fellow club legends by guiding them to victory against Fulham on Sunday.
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