Michael Owen shares his verdict on Michael Carrick becoming Manchester United’s head coach permanently.
It has been five months since Michael Carrick became head coach on an interim basis. In that time, Manchester United qualified for the Champions League and secured third place in the Premier League.
Now, with clarity around his position and role beyond this season, Carrick can start to plan for next season and beyond.
Ex-players like Roy Keane have been more critical of Carrick than others, but Michael Owen has reacted positively to the announcement.
What is your INSTANT REACTION as Man United confirm Carrick appointment 🔥
Deserved? Or are you concerned?
Overlooking Michael Carrick would be a mistake, says Michael Owen
Owen believes it would have been a criminal offence had United overlooked Carrick for another coach.
The former United striker references Carrick’s results to date, as well as his successful quest to get the team back into the Champions League for next season.
Owen, who was among Carrick’s teammates at United, has acknowledged how the 44-year-old has got fans excited again.
“I said within a minute it is the correct decision,” Owen told FlashScore.
“Like I know there’s loads of pundits out there that were saying you know no way don’t do it no matter how he does but like let’s just face the facts.
“Manchester United have been rubbish, rubbish for about a dozen years.
“They’ve been so bad for a Manchester United team and that’s included proven managers that have won trophies and I’m talking about the Mourinho’s and the Van Gaal’s and the David Moyes’ or whoever proven then they’ve gone and tried other things you know ex-players and then they’ve gone and tried the new shiny toy that’s coming out of Portugal that’s won a league that’s hardly managed in his career.
“They’ve tried the lot. They’ve tried a lot and all of a sudden after 12 years they put somebody in that gets the club that knows the club that’s a safe pair of hands, that’s calm, that’s cool understands football.
“Forget all that winning games now they’re absolutely flying he’s doing all the things that people have been screaming for ages all the pundits and everything else and he’s getting results who in their right mind who in their right mind would say ‘no, thanks for that you know those few months and getting us into the Champions League but we’re going to go with somebody else.’
“Imagine if they went with someone else and they did as badly as everybody else has in the last 12 years.
“That it’s bordering on a bordering on a criminal offense. That is to rip up something that is now after 12 years.
“The fans are happy. They’re seeing good football. They’re seeing good players.
“All of a sudden it’s exciting to be a Manchester United fan. And then you say, ‘No, thanks very much, but no thanks.’ I mean, in what mind? Like it’s not even a question.”
- ⚡️ NEWS IN BRIEF
- Michael Owen believes Manchester United were right to keep Michael Carrick in charge
- It would have been a criminal offence to overlook Carrick, says Owen
- Owen referenced Carrick’s results and successful question to clinch Champions League qualification
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Michael Owen opted for punditry and horse racing over football management
Owen has never managed a professional football club, and it doesn’t look like he’ll ever turn his hand to it.
The former England striker has been focused on punditry, horse racing, and other business ventures since hanging up the boots.
Immediately after retiring in 2013, Owen was vocal about his lack of interest in management.
Owen is not alone in that. Owen Hargreaves is another former United player who never turned to management.
Meanwhile, the likes of Gary Neville and Paul Scholes probably wish they hadn’t.
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