Roy Keane has endorsed Eddie Howe as Manchester United’s next head coach, saying his calm demeanor is a quality the club is looking for, despite describing the player as “not for everyone”. The Red Devils have been in the spotlight this week following the sacking of manager Ruben Amorim, with Darren Fletcher set to take over as interim manager until a permanent replacement is found at the end of the season.
Potential candidates include Howe, who has won plaudits for his transformative work at Newcastle. Despite taking over at a time when the club was facing relegation, Howe managed to turn their fortunes around and lead them to Champions League qualification, thanks in part to Saudi investment.
Keane believes Howe’s experience and temperament make him the perfect candidate for the United job. Keane told Sky Sports: “I like the way he’s played so far. He commands a lot of games and when the team gets going he plays some good football.”
“I know he has his critics, but I like the way he played at Newcastle and the same at Bournemouth. He’s managed 700, 800 games. I like his calmness. I think Man Utd need that sometimes.”
“I like emotional people. I’m quite an emotional person, but his calmness, what he did for Newcastle. He got them into the Champions League and won the cup. I want to see him go there.”
Mr Howe has emphasized his dedication to his vision at St James’ Park and has made every effort to keep himself out of consideration for the position. Asked if there were other opportunities to tempt him, he said, “No, not at this time.”
“The most important thing for me is happiness in the role, happiness in the job and relationships with the people around me. Now it’s not always good and things can change in any football club. But at the moment I’m very happy.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who shared the pitch with Keane at Old Trafford, has emerged as the front-runner to take over the club’s managerial role. This will be his second time on the hot seat, following his previous term, which lasted nearly three years.
Despite facing criticism throughout his early reign, Keane believes he will be in good hands until the end of the season, but has doubts about his long-term suitability.
He said: “Do I think that’s the right answer or the wrong answer – I don’t know. But if it’s until the end of the season, I think Ole will be fine until the end of the season. Do I see Ole being manager for the next four or five seasons and making Man United compete again? Probably not.”
Sir Jim Ratcliffe faces increasing pressure to make the right choice after a series of major decisions backfire spectacularly. He supported Erik ten Hag in taking over the club and offered new terms, but was sacked soon after.
Mr. Amorim served as their representative for their inaugural appointments, but he had been in office for less than 14 months before stepping down.
