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Rio Ferdinand has strongly criticised his former Manchester United teammates Roy Keane and Gary Neville, accusing them of showing “unbelievable disrespect” towards interim manager Michael Carrick. The ex-England defender pointed out that Carrick has guided the Red Devils to successive victories over Manchester City and Arsenal, sparking calls for him to be considered for the permanent role. However, not everyone connected with the Premier League giants shares that sentiment.

United’s resurgence came immediately after experiencing their lowest point in 111 years. Following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal in early 2026 due to inconsistent results, Darren Fletcher stepped in as caretaker boss, managing only a draw against Burnley and an FA Cup exit at the hands of Brighton. That poor run left the club without involvement in any domestic or European knockout competitions in the 2025–26 season.

Carrick, who had previously served as assistant coach under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Old Trafford, returned to the club after a managerial stint with Championship side Middlesbrough. His comeback has coincided with an uplift in form and morale within the squad.

Under Carrick, United have recorded two impressive wins that lifted them into the Premier League’s top four, rekindling optimism among supporters. Despite this positive momentum, former captain Roy Keane remains sceptical about offering him the job permanently. Speaking on Sky Sports after the thrilling 3-2 win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, Keane remarked, “Even if United win every game from now till the end of the season, I still wouldn’t give him the job. They need a bigger, more experienced manager. It’s as simple as that.”

Ex-United defender Gary Neville echoed similar views, saying, “I don’t think he’s the one to bring Manchester United back to winning league titles. It’s right for Michael Carrick to stay until the end of the season and then pass the responsibility to someone like Thomas Tuchel or Carlo Ancelotti—managers of world-class calibre. That’s what his role should be now.”

Ferdinand, however, was left baffled by such remarks. On his podcast, Rio Ferdinand Presents, the former centre-back who won six Premier League titles and made 455 appearances for the club, expressed disbelief: “Michael Carrick’s come in, turned up his collar, and said, ‘Right lads, let’s get organised, let’s be tough to beat, let’s work hard, and let’s be dangerous going forward. And by the way, my first two games are against Man City and Arsenal.’”

Ferdinand continued, “He’s gone and picked up six points! And now people are saying that no matter what Carrick achieves, he shouldn’t even be considered for the job. Where are you people coming from? The level of disrespect is incredible. To claim that regardless of what he does, he doesn’t deserve the Manchester United job—on what basis? That’s ridiculous talk.”

Wayne Rooney, United’s all-time top scorer, seems to share Ferdinand’s point of view. Speaking on Match of the Day 2, Rooney said, “Michael Carrick’s got a chance to show everyone, especially Manchester United, that he’s capable of doing this job. Over the past two weeks, we’ve seen that he certainly can. Of course, he needs consistency in both performances and results, but what we’ve witnessed so far proves he’s very capable.”

Rooney added, “If this continues, there’ll be huge pressure on the Manchester United board to appoint him permanently at the end of the season. I know they’ve been in a similar situation with Ole before, but this time it feels a bit different.”

This situation brings back memories of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s appointment. The Norwegian, a hero of the 1999 Treble-winning team, initially took over as interim manager in 2018 after Jose Mourinho’s departure and was later appointed full-time following a strong run of results. Ferdinand had also supported Solskjaer’s promotion at that time.

However, Solskjaer was unable to restore the club’s former glory, and Manchester United are still chasing their first Premier League title since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013. The club’s current leadership—under Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS co-ownership—recognises the importance of making the right managerial appointment this time to ensure long-term stability and a return to consistent success.