Michael Owen urges Man Utd to appoint Michael Carrick

Manchester United moved on from Ruben Amorim after he failed to deliver an upturn in fortune, with his stubborn refusal to tinker with a favoured 3-4-2-1 system cited as a key factor. Darren Fletcher briefly served as caretaker before the club handed the reins to former midfielder and ex-assistant Michael Carrick, who has overseen four successive victories and pushed the Red Devils back into contention for Champions League qualification.

Michael Owen says United should not act on impulse but believes Carrick deserves an extended chance if the form continues. He praised the way the team is playing and warned that, after a decade of trying every option, replacing a manager who appears to have stabilised the club would be counterproductive: "Imagine if he qualified for the Champions League and did so well and they said ‘thanks for the job Michael, now we are going to employ someone else’… Talk about shooting yourself in the foot!

England, Manchester

manchester united, michael carrick, michael owen, ruben amorim, darren fletcher, champions league, 3-4-2-1, red devils, caretaker, qualification