Rio Ferdinand has accused fellow Manchester United legends Roy Keane and Gary Neville of showing “unbelievable disrespect” to the Red Devils’ interim manager, Michael Carrick.
The former England international has overseen back-to-back wins over Manchester City and Arsenal, leading to calls for him to be handed the reins on a permanent basis.
Not everybody associated with the Premier League heavyweights shares that opinion.
Also, United appear to have turned a corner immediately after hitting a 111-year low.
Ruben Amorim was relieved of his coaching duties early in 2026 after finding consistent performances and results hard to come by.
However, Darren Fletcher was appointed as caretaker boss, as he stepped up from the U18 ranks, and oversaw a disappointing draw at Burnley and FA Cup defeat to Brighton – leaving the Red Devils without domestic and European knockout competition in 2025-26.
Carrick, who previously worked as an assistant at Old Trafford alongside Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has returned to familiar surroundings – having stepped out on his own as a manager at Championship side Middlesbrough.
Keane & Neville not convinced Carrick is the right choice
He has claimed two notable scalps, lifting United into the Premier League’s top four, and restored senses of positivity and optimism to the ‘Theatre of Dreams’.
Red Devils fans are thrilled with Carrick’s efforts, but former club captain Keane has suggested that talk of a permanent offer remains premature.
He told Sky Sports following a thrilling 3-2 victory over Arsenal at Emirates Stadium: “I think if United win every game from now until the end of the season, I still wouldn’t be giving him the job.
“I just think they need a bigger, more experienced manager. Simple as that.”
Ex-United defender Gary Neville added: “I don’t believe he’s the man to get Manchester United back winning league titles.
“I think it’s right that Michael Carrick keeps the job until the end of the season and hands the baton over to a Thomas Tuchel or a Carlo Ancelotti, someone of world class ilk. That’s what his job is now.”
Ferdinand baffled by Carrick claims from Man Utd greats
Ferdinand has been left stunned by those comments.
The six-Premier League title winner, who took in 455 appearances for United, has told his Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast: “Michael Carrick’s come in and turned the collar up on his long trench coat and said: ‘Listen guys, get behind me, I’m gonna put you in a structure that’s gonna actually suit the players that we have, we’re gonna be hard to play against, we’re gonna work hard, and we’re gonna be a threat.
“And, by the way, guys, my first two games are Man City and Arsenal’.
“He’s gone and got six points! And people are telling me that, no matter what Michael Carrick does, he shouldn’t get the opportunity to manage Man United.
“Where the hell are you people coming from?
“The disrespect is unbelievable.
“For somebody to say, no matter what this person does, he doesn’t deserve to be given the keys to Man United, on what grounds are you saying that? That’s mad talk.”
However, United’s all-time leading goalscorer, Wayne Rooney, would appear to be on the same page as Ferdinand.
He has told Match of the Day 2: “Michael Carrick has got an opportunity to show everyone, to show Manchester United that he’s capable of doing the job and what we’ve seen over the last two weeks…of course he has to have a consistency about his results and performances, but what we’ve seen is that he’s very capable of doing it.
“If it carries on like this, there’ll be massive pressure on the Manchester United board to put him in at the end of the season.
“I know they’ve been there with Ole before, but I think this feels a little bit different.”
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History repeating itself? Solskjaer was an interim boss
Solskjaer, a 1999 Treble-winning hero, took over from Mourinho on an initial interim agreement in 2018.
However, he went on to spend almost three years at the helm, with Ferdinand among those to have called for the Norwegian to be appointed on a full-time basis.
A former fan favourite was unable to bring the good times back, with United still waiting on a first Premier League title since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, and there is acceptance among the club’s board – with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS co-ownership group calling the shots – that they need to get their next appointment right in order for stability and continuity to be restored within an institution that is desperate to get back in the trophy-winning habit.
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