Michael Carrick has recently been appointed as Manchester United's head coach until the end of the 2025-26 season, marking his return to the Old Trafford dugout. This interim role, announced around January 13, 2026, follows the club's decision to sack previous manager Ruben Amorim. Carrick's mandate is to guide the team, currently in seventh position, towards Champions League qualification. However, prominent football pundit and former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has firmly stated his opinion that Michael Carrick should not be considered a long-term managerial option for the club. Speaking publicly, Neville emphasized that even if Carrick achieves considerable success during his temporary spell, Manchester United needs to look beyond him for a permanent solution. He argued that the club requires a more experienced manager to ensure long-term progress and restore its competitive standing in both domestic and European competitions. Neville highlighted potential candidates like Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel, and Carlo Ancelotti as more suitable for the permanent role. Carrick's previous experience includes an unbeaten three-game stint as caretaker manager in November 2021 after Ole Gunnar Solskjær's dismissal. His current short-term appointment is intended to allow the club's Director of Football, Jason Wilcox, ample time to conduct a comprehensive recruitment process for a permanent head coach. The sentiment among pundits like Neville is that while Carrick offers short-term stability, Manchester United's long-term strategic planning requires a different approach.