Rio Ferdinand makes Michael Carrick feelings clear but interim Man United boss has tougher tests than Arsenal and Man City

Rio Ferdinand has backed Michael Carrick to be handed the full-time Manchester United job if he continues to rack up the wins.

But talkSPORT’s Angelina Kelly has stressed Red Devils fans to not get ahead of themselves – insisting there are bigger tests ahead that Arsenal and Manchester City.

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Carrick was handed the keys at Old Trafford on an interim deal earlier this month until the end of the season following Ruben Amorim’s axing.

A 2-0 victory over rivals City at the Theatre of Dreams was followed up by a 3-2 victory away at table-toppers Arsenal.

Going into Sunday’s home clash against Fulham, United sit fourth in the table, leading Carrick’s ex-teammate Ferdinand to wax lyrical over the 44-year-old.

With United not only winning, but playing free-flowing attacking football – a far cry from what supporters had been used to under Amorim – Ferdinand believes the job could be Carrick’s full-time at the end of the season.

Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, the United legend said: “I’m looking at it and going two weeks ago Man United was a sorry state of affairs.

“We were the butt of everyone’s joke, it was a debacle, what we were looking at.

“Michael Carrick’s come in and said, ‘Listen guys, get behind me. I’m going to put in a structure that’s going to actually suit the players that we have. We’re going to be hard to play against. We’re going to work hard and we’re going to be a threat.’

“He has got six points and people are telling me that no matter what Michael Carrick does, he shouldn’t get an opportunity to manage Man Utd.

“Where the hell are you people coming from? The disrespect is unbelievable for someone to say, ‘No matter what this person does, he doesn’t deserve to be given the keys to Man United.’

“On what grounds are you saying that? That’s mad talk.”

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Ferdinand once made the mistake in going too early of urging United to turn a manager’s temporary spell in charge into a permanent stay.

In March 2019, after United knocked Paris Saint-Germain out of the Champions League, Ferdinand told United to give Ole Gunner Solskjaer the contract, excitedly yapping, ‘Ole’s at the wheel man, he’s doing his thing, United are back!”

Later that month, Solskjaer was appointed on a three-year deal, before being sacked in November 2021 after performances went drastically downhill.

Ferdinand’s view echoes the sentiments of many United fans, who have been blown away by their drastic transformation under Carrick.

But Angelina Kelly has insisted the club cannot be hasty in their decision, while declaring that the upcoming clash with Fulham will be more challenging than their previous two victories over two of the top teams in Europe.

Speaking on talkSPORT’s Inside Devils YouTube show, Kelly was asked by co-presenter Flex whether Carrick should be already be considered for the permanent job.

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To which she said: “I understand why the question is being asked, why he’s being asked and why it’s a topic of discussion.

“But for me personally, I just think that it’s just too soon and we don’t need that pressure at the moment.

“Because I think we just need to focus on this final stretch of the Premier League season – us getting into Europe – that is my personal focus.

“But I get why people are saying it, I do just think it’s a little early for this, I think people have got PTSD from the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer situation.”

Kelly continued: “I do just think that we need to take a beat, I’m not saying we [fans] should be completely totally delusional and live in the moment.

“But in a way, it’s OK to just accept what’s happening now and enjoy, I think that conversation [Carrick getting permanent job] can come a little bit later.

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“I think that he definitely deserves his props because these two games we have played, we have played very exciting football against two teams that aren’t really that exciting to watch if you’re being completely honest.

“Man City attempt to play piggy in the middle rather than an actual football match.

“You don’t really see them scoring those goals like we scored [against Arsenal] from outside the box, you normally expect them to pass it to the side.

“Arsenal, I would describe [their style of play] as a bit robotic at times.

“To be able to go to both those games, approach them tactically, but do it with exciting football, he has to be praised for that.

“I think that Fulham will be the real test to see if things haven actually turned around, because it is the ‘easier’ teams that Man United have struggled to beat.

“But I think we enjoy it for what it is, I can’t say whether he should or shouldn’t be the [permanent] manager, I don’t have enough evidence yet.

“But I get why people are getting excited, but I just think we should live in the moment.”