Manchester United legend tipped to replace Michael Carrick as manager and ‘ruffle some feathers’

Paul Lambert has thrown his support behind Roy Keane to succeed the embattled Michael Carrick at Manchester United. talkSPORT understands Carrick will be sacked as Red Devils boss after just 16 games this season, with Mauricio Pochettino the leading contender to take over. But Lambert believes United could do worse than to turn to Keane, who made over 480 appearances and won 12 major trophies at the club between 1993 and 2005. Why Paul Lambert backed Roy Keane for Man United role “I think if Roy went in there to try to get it going, then I think that would have been a complete no-brainer,” Lambert said . “He knows the game, he knows what the club is, and he might have ruffled a few feathers to do it. Could he do it? Yeah, easily. “He’s not a novice, he knows how to do it. It’s his club in terms of how long he was with United. “So could he do that job? Yeah, I’ve got no doubts whatsoever.” Roy Keane’s coaching career Keane has previous managerial experience courtesy of stints at Sunderland and Ipswich Town , the latter of which ended in January 2011. He later moved into an assistant coach role with the Republic of Ireland national team under Martin O’Neill in November 2013, a post he held until November 2018. Keane also worked under Lambert at Aston Villa during the 2014/15 campaign, but their partnership lasted only four months as the former elected to concentrate on his Ireland gig. The 55-year-old and O’Neill departed the Ireland set-up in November 2018 before they sealed a reunion in January 2019 at Nottingham Forest . They both exited the two-time European champions five months later. Although Lambert may have tipped Keane for a sensational return to Old Trafford, the Irishman recently poured cold water on a managerial comeback. What has Roy Keane said about a return to management? “These last few years [of prioritising TV punditry over coaching]… there’s no going back now,” Keane said on the Stick to Football podcast. “There’s definitely part of me over the last few years that thinks I should still be a manager somewhere. I still feel I could have been a really good manager. “When you’re in that managerial role, you’re thinking two or three tough results and you could be out the door… that’s a tough rollercoaster. “I don’t miss being on that rollercoaster, I just have this feeling that I could have been a really good manager.”