Manchester United legend Gary Neville feels there are three standout candidates to be the subsequent boss at Old Trafford, with another just behind them.
Former Red Devils midfielder Michael Carrick has been appointed interim manager until the tip of the season, replacing caretaker boss Darren Fletcher, who stepped in after the sacking of Ruben Amorim.
Carrick takes over the club sitting seventh within the Premier League and only three points off the highest 4.
His task is to qualify for the Champions League, but Neville feels that even when Carrick achieves that with ease, he mustn’t be considered for the everlasting job.
‘I hope Michael does very well,’ Neville said on the Stick with Football podcast. ‘We may very well be sat here at the tip of the season with the fans up, with the team fifth within the table and back within the Champions League spots, and we could all be getting swayed with it.
‘But there can’t be any consideration that Michael takes the job beyond the tip of this season, for the sake of Michael and the club, even when he wins each game.’
Having ruled out the interim boss, Neville has picked out the names he thinks could succeed at Old Trafford, with the three standout contenders all currently in control of international sides.
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The previous United full-back thinks the England, Brazil and USA managers needs to be considered.
‘Who can handle the media?’ Neville asked. ‘Who can sort the dressing room out? Who can handle the owners? Who plays a type of football that fans will at the least enjoy watching? Who has Champions League experience? Who has big‑game experience?
‘The three that stand out are [Thomas] Tuchel, [Carlo] Ancelotti and [Mauricio] Pochettino. They may all be available after the World Cup.’
Neville did throw one other name into the ring, saying: ‘Eddie Howe – who has won a trophy, finished in the highest 4, and managed an enormous club in Newcastle – is one other.
‘To make United a beautiful club for players, Tuchel and Ancelotti bring a seriousness to matters. For those who appoint a younger manager, United will miss out on players.
‘United are going to miss out on a variety of players anyway, but someone like Ancelotti would encourage players to come back. They need that straight away, because I’m unsure players are queuing up to affix unless there’s someone to consider in.’
Neville had previously picked out Ancelotti as his favourite of the choices, recalling the 66-year-old being an option to interchange Alex Ferguson when he retired.
‘The outstanding candidate for me can be Carlo Ancelotti, even when it will mean potentially delaying his arrival until late July if Brazil reached the World Cup final,’ Neville told The Overlap.
‘No-one comes as near fulfilling every thing laid out above than he does. Paradoxically the club met with Carlo shortly before his retirement in 2013 and we could have short circuited this whole process and commenced with him initially of the cycle. But by that stage he was near agreeing to joining Real Madrid for his first spell in charge and so what may need been an ideal appointment never happened.’
Carrick’s first game in charge is on Saturday as Manchester United host Manchester City within the Premier League.
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