Jaap Stam urges Manchester United to forget Michael Carrick and appoint Roberto De Zerbi

Manchester United star Jaap Stam has urged the club to forget about Michael Carrick and appoint Roberto De Zerbi instead.

Stam believes that the former Brighton manager will be a good fit for the Red Devils while De Zerbi may choose to move to Old Trafford.

Stam urges Manchester United to ditch Michael Carrick for Roberto De Zerbi

He said (via The Mirror): “I like De Zerbi a lot, you know, because of the way he played at Brighton and now at Marseille.

“The way he plays with his teams, because he plays football based on football, he is very good at football.

“You know he goes forward, he attacks, he scores a lot of goals, sometimes he is interfered with, but he knows that as a manager.

“But I think he’s a good manager too. I think he’s good with the players and he gives them confidence, he gives them the attention they need – not just the starting XI, but the other players in the team as well.

“That’s what you need at a big club like that. So I’d be very happy if they don’t take Carrick, and if they go after him.”

Roberto De Zerbi has made a name for himself in European football

De Zerbi’s reputation has risen significantly since his time in the Premier League, where he led Brighton to the European qualifiers for the first time in its history.

Currently in Marseille, his high-risk, high-reward style continues to attract attention across the continent.

Stam highlighted the Italian’s ability to manage great people and teams, a leadership skill needed to run a club like Man United.

Roberto De Zerbi’s Manerail stats for Marseille and Brighton via Transfermarkt

He is highly rated and loved by his players, current and former. In fact, Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister even rated him higher than Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot.

Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast, he said of De Zerbi: “He’s a crazy guy, but I love him. I think he’s the best manager I’ve ever had.”

Broadcaster Gary Lineker asked: “Really? Wow! You’ve got Slot and Klopp there.”

Mac Allister replied: “I had a few talks with Slot about De Zerbi too, because he really likes the idea. Then I have coaches like (Gabriel) Heinze as well in Argentina. So I have very good coaches.”

Michael Carrick makes a strong case for a permanent role

While Stam looked elsewhere, Carrick did everything right on the pitch.

Since taking over, he has abandoned the rigid systems of his predecessors and restored harmony to the dressing room.

Under his guidance, United have a 100% winning record and are back in the race for the top four.

With an important home game against Tottenham coming up, the call for Carrick to stay is growing, but the debate between a “club man” and a European tactician like De Zerbi remains an important question for United’s management.