Wayne Rooney has explained why Manchester United have an obvious choice when selecting who should manage the club after Michael Carrick.
Manchester United have appointed Michael Carrick as interim head coach until the end of the season following the recent sacking of Rúben Amorim.
Carrick will be joined on the coaching staff by Jonny Evans, Under-21s coach Travis Binnion, and senior coaches Steve Holland and Jonathan Woodgate.
Tasked with leading United back into the Champions League places ahead of next season, Carrick will oversee the team while the club continues its search for a long-term replacement.
Once the campaign is over, Carrick and his staff are set to depart or return to their former roles at Old Trafford, with the club yet to signal who will be chosen as the next permanent head coach.
Rooney backs Tuchel for United role
Many names have already surfaced as possible next managers at the club, with Thomas Tuchel and Roberto De Zerbi two reportedly guaranteed to be considered in the coming months.
According to former Red Wayne Rooney, the former is an obvious choice for the job. When questioned on whether the recently available former Real Madrid boss, Xabi Alonso, would be a good appointment, the United legend pivoted toward the German instead.
“Alonso did incredible at [Bayer] Leverkusen, and I think you have more chance of him sitting and waiting and hoping with [Liverpool manager, Arne] Slot,” He told the Wayne Rooney Show.
“Tuchel is the one for me. He knows the Premier League, has won trophies. He is doing well at England. Time will tell.”
Rooney added: “It is probably the obvious choice really, because I don’t think there are any top, top managers available at the minute.
“I think it is the right choice at this moment in time. It is a difficult task of course. Where Manchester United are at the minute is not a good place and Michael has to go in and steady the ship.”
Would Tuchel accept the United role?
It has been well documented that Tuchel met with Sir Jim Ratcliffe about the United role in 2024, when they were initially considering moving on from Erik ten Hag, but the now-England manager rejected the possibility, partly due to the lack of power he’d have.
18 months later, and not much seems to have changed, with United still looking for a head coach who works alongside the recruitment staff and director of football, instead of being an outright shot-caller at the club.
Tuchel’s current focus is with England and the World Cup, and even if the German is to become interested in the job, he would likely not be available to start working until mid-July, which is only a short while before pre-season kicks off.
While Tuchel would undoubtedly lift United’s level upon his arrival, the type of power he seeks, combined with the awkward timing of the World Cup, makes his appointment less likely.
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