Man Utd urged to hire Champions League manager to catch Arsenal and Man City

Manchester United have been urged to overlook caretaker boss Michael Carrick and appoint a ‘better’ Champions League manager at the end of the season.

Carrick has emerged as a strong contender for the permanent Old Trafford job after overseeing an impressive resurgence since Ruben Amorim’s sacking.

The former United and England midfielder led Manchester United to wins over Arsenal and Manchester City, the two teams battling for the title, before also beating Fulham and Tottenham.

While his four-game winning run came to an end at West Ham, Benjamin Sesko’s injury-time equaliser ensured United remain unbeaten under Carrick and are still in the Champions League places.

Carrick’s return to Old Trafford was only expected to be temporary, with Manchester United planning to appoint Amorim’s permanent replacement in the summer.

But United’s impressive form under the ex-midfielder has led to calls for Carrick to be handed the reigns on a permanent basis come the end of the season.

Andy Townsend has been impressed by the job Carrick has done at Manchester United but believes the club should be looking for someone ‘better’, naming Diego Simeone as his top choice for the job.

Simeone is one of the most respected coaches in world football, having led Atletico Madrid to two La Liga titles and two Champions League finals during his long spell in charge of the Spanish clubs.

Townsend believes Simeone, 55, has the ‘qualities’ to help Manchester United catch Premier League title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City.

‘I feel there’s probably someone out there better than Michael Carrick even though he’s done very well,’ Townsend told Boylesports.

‘I think there would be people that are better equipped to manage a club like Manchester United than he can.

‘I think you have to be looking for an elite manager, someone that has dealt with the very biggest players and personalities and has handled pressure from above and the terraces.

‘I don’t think Antonio Conte would be the right fit. Out of all of them, the one manager I would like to see at United is Diego Simeone.

‘I think his football and the way his Atletico Madrid team have played is kind of more suited to the Premier League.

‘I don’t think his style of play would please the United fans. They want something more flamboyant.

‘But at the moment, United need to get back on level terms with the likes of City and Liverpool and try to get ahead of Arsenal, I don’t think you want someone who’s talking about the beautiful game.

‘You need someone who is prepared to put massive demands on the players on a consistent basis and drag performances and victories out of them. Only Simeone has those qualities.’

While former Premier League and Ireland midfielder Townsend believes Manchester United can do better than Carrick, he praised the impact caretaker manager has had on the team.

‘I think Michael Carrick has done a really good job since he’s come in,’ added Townsend, 62.

‘Some of the decisions he’s made have been very straightforward like playing Kobbie Mainoo. He’s been naming unchanged starting line-ups and that’s never a bad thing.

‘If you’ve got a winning team, don’t change it. Too many managers rotate players when their team’s been on a good run. All of a sudden they’re giving this player a game, that player a game, but when you have a winning team, and they look like they’re enjoying things, just roll with it.

‘Keep going. Live in that moment. Suddenly, you’re five games unbeaten as United are. There’s a simplicity and an effectiveness to what Michael has done and he’s doing it in an understated manner.

‘He doesn’t shout from the rooftops. He doesn’t have to sit there with a tactics board, moving little discs around.

‘He might not be happy with everything that he’s seeing all the time. I’m sure he’s not but he looks like he’s in control. Perception has never been more important for a manager than it is in today’s game.

‘If your manager is pacing up and down, jumping up and down, not looking at corners when they’re coming in like Ruben Amorim, afraid to have a look when you’re defending a corner and staring at his feet, that puts you on the back foot instantly with people.

‘Michael isn’t promising the earth. He’s giving players the license to play with more freedom and be a bit more spontaneous on the field, particularly in those forward areas. Lo and behold, they’ve started winning a few.’

Manchester United have the weekend off after already crashing out of the FA Cup but return to Premier League action next weekend against Everton.

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