“They probably won’t think about [him]” - Gary Lineker throws in ‘imaginative’ coach as surprise name to replace Ten Hag at Manchester United
Football pundit Gary Lineker has urged Manchester United to consider appointing England interim manager Lee Carsley at the helm of affairs following Erik ten Hag's departure. He believes Carsely is a good coach and can help turn things around at Old Trafford.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Lineker put Carsley's name in the Manchester United managerial race. However, he was quick to acknowledge that the Red Devils would probably not consider him as an option, saying:
"I'm going to throw in a name here. I think it would be very interesting, he's certainly a brilliant coach. A certain Lee Carsley - who they probably won't think about. He's a really imaginative coach, he plays attacking football. From what I heard from England players, they thought he was really good. Really interesting and thoughtful on the game."
Manchester United sacked Erik ten Hag on Monday, October 28, after months of speculation on the Dutchman's future. He was reportedly under pressure by the end of last season as well, but the FA Cup win over Manchester City supposedly prolonged his stay.
Manchester United legend names the best replacement for Erik ten Hag
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes believes Sporting's Ruben Amorim could be an interesting but risky pick. He added that only an experienced manager could handle the pressure of the job at United.
Speaking to the Premier League's official website, Scholes stated that he would have liked Thomas Tuchel too, but the former Chelsea man was set to take over the England national team. He said:
"Amorim is an interesting one. But, again, that is a risky one. We all know the style of play. [Amorim] plays really good football. We've been talking about him for City. that obviously tells you something about his pedigree. Most of these managers, they've been at clubs where the expectation probably is not as high. I look at Thomas Frank and I see that. He might be a very capable manager for Manc United but expectations are not [at Brentford] what they are at Man United.
"I was a big Thomas Tuchel fan but obviously that's gone. He's managed elite clubs, he's won big trophies with big clubs. I think [Ten Hag's replacement] needs to have experience at an elite football club. This is one of the very biggest clubs in the world, so they should have the very best in class.
"Zidane is the one who has been at a major, major club and won major honours. But I am not sure how educated he is with the English language or whether he actually wants to come to England. You never get that feeling with him."
Manchester United have also been linked with Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann. Graham Potter and Gareth Southgate were also linked with the job last season.