Owen Baffled by Neville's Carrick Stance as Stam Makes Bold Managerial Case

The debate over Manchester United's managerial future has taken an intriguing turn, with pundits at odds over whether the club should stick with Michael Carrick or continue their search for a long-term solution.

Carrick has made an eye-catching start to his spell as interim boss, collecting three consecutive victories that included dispatching both Manchester City and Arsenal. Yet Gary Neville has drawn a firm line, insisting the former midfielder "shouldn't be given the job permanently even if he wins every single game."

Michael Owen finds himself thoroughly perplexed by this stance. The former Liverpool striker believes the logic simply doesn't stack up, particularly given United's painful decade of managerial instability.

"I mean, have they not seen what's happened for the last 10, 11, 12 years?" Owen questioned. "Then they compare it to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who had a good start but then sort of faded slightly. This is a totally different person."

Owen's position is straightforward: if United's performances remain buoyant and silverware follows, why would INEOS look beyond a manager already embedded at the club? "If Manchester United are absolutely flying and winning all their games, why on earth would you?" he asked. "You've got somebody that's there, willing, ready, able, he's done all the things that everybody has been asking, the team are playing with a smile on their face, they're playing brilliantly well."

The pundit stopped short of demanding Carrick's contract be rubber-stamped immediately, acknowledging three games hardly constitute a body of work. However, should United secure Champions League qualification through sustained excellence between now and May, Owen believes the decision becomes straightforward.

"If he continues to do well, I would absolutely be giving him a job from the end of the season," Owen stated. "Obviously that's a big if, we'll see what happens in the meantime."

Neville's reservations haven't gone unchallenged. Owen suggested the alternative route—hunting for the next fashionable European prospect—carries its own risks, particularly given recent history. "Why would you throw all that away and go and find the next young Portuguese great guy?" he mused.

Meanwhile, Jaap Stam has entered the fray with a different proposition entirely. The former United defender has thrown his weight behind Roberto De Zerbi, the Marseille manager, as an alternative to Carrick.

Stam's admiration for De Zerbi stems from the Italian's track record at Brighton and his current work in Ligue 1. "How he's playing with his teams, because he plays possession-based football, he's very good on the ball," Stam explained. "He also sets the players in certain positions that it makes it really difficult for the opposition to press them."

The defensive nous is matched by attacking intent. "He's going forward, he attacks. Scores a lot of goals, sometimes concedes, but you know that as a manager," Stam continued.

Beyond tactical acumen, Stam values De Zerbi's interpersonal skills. "I think he's also a good man-manager. I think he's also good with the players and giving them the confidence, giving them the attention they need – and not only the starting XI, but also the other players within the squad," Stam observed.

For a club of United's stature, such qualities matter considerably. "That's what you need in a big club like that," Stam concluded. "So I would be very happy if they don't go for Carrick, and that they go for him."

De Zerbi's name carries extra intrigue given recent turmoil in southern France, where he reportedly came perilously close to the sack at Marseille last week. Nevertheless, Stam remains convinced the Italian represents the blueprint for United's next chapter.