To lead MU, Michael Carrick must surpass two strong contenders.

Ex-player Owen Hargreaves pointed out the two main potential candidates for the managerial role at Man Utd, in addition to Michael Carrick.

Michael Carrick is having the best start as a Manchester United coach since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was initially appointed interim manager until the end of the 2018/19 season before earning a long-term contract after 14 wins in 19 games following Jose Mourinho's departure.

According to former Man Utd midfielder Owen Hargreaves, Carrick should be the leading candidate for the head coach role unless the "Red Devils" can convince Thomas Tuchel or Luis Enrique to accept the position. The former England international shared with GOAL: "... Right now, Man Utd is in a good state. So if Carrick finishes the season in third or fourth place, considering where they started and all the surrounding noise, how could you not give him a chance?

The only possible debate is experience, and if you can get a Luis Enrique or Tuchel, that might be different. But at the moment, the most important thing isn't the coach or the players, but a football club that is winning, and that club is winning with Carrick as the architect. So why change?"

Hargreaves warns that big-name coaches don't always succeed at Old Trafford, citing the disappointing spells of Louis van Gaal and Mourinho. He believes the best option for the club is to build long-term with Carrick, who has already formed a strong connection with the players in less than a month in charge.

Commenting on the coaching talent of his former teammate, Hargreaves added: "... He behaves very professionally. He treats everyone with respect. And he is intelligent. He doesn't need to shout. He is always observant. People think coaching means yelling, but you're there to help others improve. One thing many forget is that football is about people. It’s not about you. Many try to make everything about themselves.

It’s true you have to take charge and make decisions at key moments. But in the end, you have people trying to follow you, and you have to inspire them to help you and the team perform well. I think the more people you connect with, the better they will play for you. Carrick senses what Man Utd needs and is finding solutions, and everyone is playing well."

Carrick has helped Man Utd achieve a longer winning streak in less than a month of managing the team, surpassing the record set by his predecessor Ruben Amorim over 14 months in charge. The English tactician also faces the chance to equal the longest winning run of the "Red Devils" in the past two years if his team gets a favorable result in their away match against West Ham in the 26th round of the Premier League.