Manchester United’s search for a new permanent head coach has already become the defining storyline of their season. Ruben Amorim’s troubled spell ended after just over a year, and while Michael Carrick has stepped in as interim boss and delivered an eye-catching 2-0 win over Manchester City, the club’s hierarchy is looking beyond the former midfielder.

Jamie Carragher, speaking as a pundit and columnist, has drawn up a four-man shortlist he believes should form the core of United’s deliberations. For Carragher, the key criteria are clear: energy, drive and a willingness to “go to war” for the club. In his view, United need a special figurehead, not simply a promising coach or a sentimental appointment.

His preferred candidates are Thomas Tuchel, Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique. Carragher also made it clear that, despite Carrick’s bright start, he does not see him as the man to restore United to title-winning status.

“I go back to this question – do I believe this guy can win the league?” Carragher said. “I have to believe he can. I don’t believe Man Utd will win the league with Carrick. I’m not trying to be disrespectful, but you have to be special.”

That word – special – hangs over Old Trafford like a challenge. Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, United have cycled through philosophies and personalities without finding a manager capable of combining elite tactical acumen with the force of character required to handle the club’s scale and scrutiny. Carragher’s shortlist is an attempt to identify coaches who might finally bridge that gap.

Thomas Tuchel: the proven European heavyweight

Tuchel is the most decorated and battle-tested name on Carragher’s list. The German has managed at the very top of European football, taking Borussia Dortmund to trophies, guiding Paris Saint-Germain to a Champions League final and then winning that competition with Chelsea. His reputation is that of a tactically sophisticated, obsessive coach who can quickly impose structure on a drifting side.

Carragher’s admiration is straightforward. In his eyes, Tuchel is one of the few managers available who can be considered among the best in Europe and who has already shown he can handle the pressure cooker of a major Premier League club. Tuchel’s Chelsea were compact, aggressive and adaptable, capable of shutting down elite opponents and thriving in knockout football.

For United, Tuchel would represent a decisive break from the muddled identity of recent years. He is known for demanding intensity without the ball, detailed preparation and a clear game model. The question would not be whether he could improve United – he almost certainly would – but whether the club’s hierarchy is ready to accommodate his strong personality and exacting standards over the long term.

Eddie Howe: the Premier League builder with a coaching pedigree

If Tuchel is the ready-made superclub manager, Eddie Howe is the project coach who has earned respect through steady, intelligent work. Carragher describes himself as a “huge fan” of Howe, highlighting both his footballing philosophy and his ability to live inside the pressure of a one-club city.

At Newcastle, Howe has overseen a transformation from relegation candidates to Champions League participants, blending high-energy pressing with front-foot attacking play. Carragher believes that style would translate well to Old Trafford, but he is just as interested in Howe’s temperament.

“When you’re in Newcastle and you live in that city, it’s constant and he handles it brilliantly,” Carragher noted. For United, who operate under an even harsher global spotlight, that resilience is crucial.

Another factor in Howe’s favour is his track record with player development. United have struggled to turn promising youngsters into consistent first-team stars. Carragher argues that Howe’s reputation as a hands-on coach, capable of improving individuals and building cohesive units, could address one of the club’s most persistent failings.

Julian Nagelsmann: the modern tactician with a point to prove

Nagelsmann, currently in charge of Germany, is the archetype of the modern, laptop-era coach: tactically flexible, analytically minded and unafraid to experiment. He made his name at Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig, where his teams were known for their pressing, positional rotations and attacking ambition, before taking on the pressure of Bayern Munich.

Carragher admits he does not “know everything about him” but is drawn to the combination of a big reputation and a sense that Nagelsmann still has something to prove at club level. His Bayern tenure brought domestic success but ended abruptly, leaving the impression of unfinished business at the very top.

For United, Nagelsmann would be a forward-looking appointment, aligning with a data-driven, long-term project. His methods demand buy-in from players and support from the club’s structure, but if those conditions are met, he could give United a clear, modern identity that has often been missing in the post-Ferguson era.

Luis Enrique: intensity, identity and confrontation

Luis Enrique, now at Paris Saint-Germain, is another coach Carragher would “absolutely have all day.” His managerial career has not been linear – difficult spells at Roma and Celta Vigo preceded his appointment at Barcelona – but his peak at Camp Nou, where he won the treble, established him as one of the game’s elite.

Carragher is particularly drawn to Luis Enrique’s personality. He talks about the Spaniard’s “energy and drive and spikiness,” and the way he has been willing to ruffle feathers with big-name players in national-team environments. That confrontational edge, in Carragher’s view, is exactly what a club like United needs.

“He just feels like he would go to war for your club,” Carragher said. At Old Trafford, where standards have slipped and dressing-room power has often overshadowed managerial authority, a coach unafraid of conflict could reset the internal hierarchy and demand higher levels of commitment.

Why Carrick and others fall short in Carragher’s eyes

Carragher’s endorsement of his four preferred candidates is matched by a long list of names he rules out. Some are dismissed on emotional grounds, others on stylistic or practical ones.

Jurgen Klopp and Xabi Alonso are considered non-starters because of their Liverpool ties. Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, in Carragher’s view, lack the sheer energy required for a long-term rebuild at United. Enzo Maresca, Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva are seen as talented but better suited to a stepping-stone job such as Tottenham before taking on a club of United’s scale.

Oliver Glasner is rejected because of his preferred system, which Carragher feels does not fit United’s squad or traditions. Roberto De Zerbi is praised as a “brilliant coach” but flagged as a potential source of conflict with ownership. Diego Simeone is described as “interesting” and has even been mentioned by United legends, yet Carragher argues that his deeply defensive approach clashes with what many believe to be United’s attacking DNA.

At the heart of his argument is a belief that United cannot afford another compromise appointment. Sentiment, romance and short-term fixes have all been tried. Carragher’s four-man shortlist is built around managers who combine tactical clarity with a forceful personality and the stamina to withstand the unique pressures of Old Trafford.

Whether United’s decision-makers share that vision remains to be seen. But as the club weighs its options, the debate framed by Carragher – about energy, identity and the definition of “special” – will shape every conversation about who should be trusted with one of the most demanding jobs in world football.