Give him the job? Juan Mata sends Michael Carrick message to Man Utd

Juan Mata says he is ‘enjoying’ watching Manchester United again under Michael Carrick and his ex-team-mate has proven he is ‘capable’ in his audition for the permanent job.

United found themselves in a state of disarray when Carrick took over the reins on an interim basis last month, with Ruben Amorim picking up just three wins from his final 11 matches at the helm.

Darren Fletcher struggled to steady the ship while in charge as caretaker manager, overseeing a 2-2 draw away to lowly Burnley before suffering defeat to Brighton in the FA Cup.

But since picking up the pieces from Fletcher, Carrick has steered the side to five wins from a possible six in the English top flight and, in the process, brought a sense of optimism back to the fanbase which has been so badly lacking in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

The 44-year-old – who won five Premier League titles with United as a player – will hope to continue his remarkable unbeaten run when his side return to action at home to Crystal Palace this weekend.

A host of high-profile managers were linked with United in the wake of Amorim’s sacking, including the likes of Thomas Tuchel, Roberto De Zerbi, Carlo Ancelotti and Oliver Glasner.

But the manner in which Carrick has managed to transform United’s fortunes has inevitably intensified calls for the ex-England midfielder to be offered the full-time position in the summer.

Discussing United’s resurgence on talkSPORT, Mata had nothing but praise for the work his former midfield partner had done back inside the pressure cooker that is Old Trafford.

On suggestions that Carrick should be given the job permanently, Mata replied: ‘Well, Michael is very capable.

‘He’s a very intelligent guy. First of all, as a person, I love him.

‘He was a fantastic team-mate, always there for you, he never wanted to take the spotlight but he let his football talk.

‘He was very important for the team always, looking for these passes, especially for players like me in between the lines.’

According to Mata, Carrick is simply replicating what he did so brillianty during his playing days in quietly setting an ‘example’ for those around him to follow.

‘In the dressing room, he was an example for all of us: his character and his professionalism,’ the Spaniard added.

‘And again, I said it, he’s a very intelligent guy that loves the game and I’m very happy that he’s getting the results that the club need.

‘He knows how to get to the players, of course, and I’m enjoying watching the games at the moment.’

Not all of Carrick’s former team-mates have been quite so willing to stick their neck out and back Carrick, with Gary Neville making no secret of his doubts surrounding his fellow countryman’s inexperience.

‘Manchester United have to pursue another manager right now around the fact of you don’t know how the results are going to go,’ the ex-England right-back said on Sky Sports ahead of United’s 1-0 win at Everton on Monday night.

‘But little things like Thomas Tuchel re-signing with England does start to take away the options for Manchester United and they don’t harm Michael’s chances of getting the job.

‘If he gets United into the Champions League there will be a lot of fever around that he should be appointed.’

While not necessarily ‘against’ the idea, Neville was keen to remind supporters how Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s spell unravelled after he was given the role full-time.

‘I’m not against him being appointed, I love him to bits,’ Neville continued on Carrick.

‘But I think Manchester United should go for the best class of manager available.

‘They’ve had young and inexperienced managers in the last two picks. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has come in before as an ex-player and that didn’t work in the end.

‘So I feel removing as much risk as possible is the right option.’

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