Former defender Gary Neville has highlighted three managers that Manchester United should have targeted rather than appointing Michael Carrick.
The 45-year-old United boss faced dismissal after a 3-0 defeat against Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday.
United have experienced a poor beginning to the campaign domestically, securing only one victory across eight Premier League fixtures.
Internal troubles have also plagued Carrick, with Lisandro Martinez criticizing the board and Bruno Fernandes publicly questioning his tactical setup.
After observing Sunday's fixture from the Old Trafford press box, Neville criticized the squad while conceding that his former teammate Carrick likely faces dismissal.
Speaking on his podcast, the ex-player listed the candidates United ought to have pursued, noting that two manage national teams while the third performs strongly in the Premier League.
Neville stated, “I said last season when Michael came in, whatever happens, even if he wins every single match, we mustn't appoint him as the manager, we must go and get the best manager we can, the best in the world that can come to Manchester United.”
He added, “If you have to pay £25million a year for a manager, get rid of a player and pay that money to the best manager, whoever that manager is. Make them available, beg them to come.”
Discussing potential alternatives, Neville mentioned, “But I still said if there's a better manager available, a world class manager available - if (Carlo) Ancelotti's free, or (Mauricio) Pochettino maybe - we should go and get them.”
He further remarked, “Whoever... Unai Emery. Go and get them. Because this is a monster of a football club and the last four or five managers here; Ralf Rangnick, Ole (Gunnar Solskjaer), Michael, Ruben Amorim, Erik ten Hag...”
Neville pointed out that none of those recent appointments had prior Premier League management experience, aside from Solskjaer's brief spell at Cardiff City, and none held European champion status.
He also questioned the position of technical director Jason Wilcox, stating he was thrust into a major role ahead of his time.
Regarding Carrick's immediate future, Neville predicted, “They're probably going to sack him. They're probably going to sack him in the next two hours, 12 hours, 24 hours.”
He added that rumors circulated on Thursday and Friday suggesting Wilcox and Vivell are divided over Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann.
Additionally, Neville slammed the professionalism of certain players, stating some fail to sleep properly, eat correctly, or dedicate themselves entirely to the club.
