Wayne Rooney (41) expressed a clear opinion regarding Manchester United's next manager. He argued that the Michael Carrick (45) regime should be continued with an appointment as permanent manager.
The British broadcaster BBC reported on the 16th (Korea time) that Rooney publicly supported naming interim manager Michael Carrick as the permanent manager.
Manchester United beat Aston low-rise apartment 3-1 in the 30th-round Premier League match at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, on the 15th. As a result, Man United held third place in the league and secured a favorable position in the race for Champions League qualification.
Carrick's regime has continued its rise. He took charge of the team until the end of the season after Rúben Amorim was sacked in January, and then led the team to seven wins in nine league matches, elevating them to the upper ranks.
Rooney said Carrick has already shown sufficient ability as a manager.
In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, he said, "Carrick should be the manager 100%," adding, "I know Carrick well. Because I knew his personality and leadership, I thought this would happen."
He added, "The team needed a calm leader. At the same time, it had to be someone who knows the club well. The players needed support, and Carrick provided that. The players' performances improved and the whole team is moving more as one. There is no reason to make a change."
But the club is taking a cautious stance. Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was asked about Carrick's future at the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix held recently in Shanghai, China, but avoided specific comments. He left only the evaluation that "he is doing a good job."
Carrick also did not attach great significance to Rooney's remarks. He said, "There isn't talk to the extent that it's noise. It's just that when you hear it, it becomes noise," and added, "The only thing important to me now is the next match." He explained that he had spoken with chief executive Omar Berrada and football director Jason Wilcox, but his current focus was the away match at Bournemouth.
Meanwhile, in that match Bruno Fernandes recorded two assists and set another record.
Bruno provided the corner kick assist for Casemiro's opening goal and the penetrating pass that led to Matheus Cunha's winning goal. That brought his official assists for Man United to 100. Since the Premier League era, he is the fourth to reach that mark after Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham.
He also increased his league assists this season to 16, surpassing the 15 set by Beckham in the 1999-2000 season to set a new single-season assist record for Man United.
Manager Carrick said, "Bruno has for a long time made a difference for the team at important moments. Whether goals or assists, he always plays a decisive role. Especially his understanding with Casemiro is something a coach cannot teach."
Casemiro also received strong applause from fans after scoring in the match. He has scored seven league goals this season, six of which were headers. After the match, chants of "One more year" echoed from the Stretford End stands.
But his future already seems decided. Casemiro is expected to leave the team this summer when his contract expires, and moves to the Saudi Arabian league or Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States have been mentioned as possibilities.
Carrick also took a cautious position on the possibility of him staying. He said, "Because the situation has already been settled, everyone understands," and added, "Casemiro has been a very important player for us and played a big role in the locker room. But at this club, players coming and going is a natural thing."
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