Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke has urged the club’s hierarchy to make Unai Emery their next manager, insisting the Red Devils should be prepared to pay whatever it takes to bring the Aston Villa boss to Old Trafford.
Michael Carrick is currently overseeing affairs at Manchester United but his position has come under serious pressure following a run of nine games without a victory.
United have two important fixtures before the next international break. They will welcome Roma to Old Trafford in the Champions League on Tuesday before travelling to face Emery’s Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday.
Failure to win either match could leave Carrick’s future in serious doubt, with his chances of remaining in charge when the players return from international duty appearing increasingly slim.
Yorke, who represented Aston Villa between 1989 and 1998 before joining Manchester United, believes Emery is the ideal candidate to restore the club’s fortunes.
The former United striker argued that the club should have appointed the Spaniard before bringing in Ruben Amorim in 2024. He maintains that the same opportunity should be pursued now.
“I have said this all along, and it baffles me when people are now jumping on the bandwagon,” Yorke said on talkSPORT.
“I said this two-and-a-half years ago. Unai Emery was the man to go and get way before Amorim has come into the equation.
“And just like how, you go and spend £70million on players, I think Unai Emery, you can go and spend that money, I am not saying £70m, but pay whatever Villa has asked and get him. Give him the authority to come in.
“I have said that way before Amorim has come in. I got a backlash from the Villa fans, and to this day, I still believe that he is the best manager in the business, certainly to get Man Utd to some type of credibility and sustainability at the same time as well.”
Although Yorke acknowledges that Manchester United’s players have fallen significantly below expectations, he believes Carrick must also accept responsibility for the team’s poor performances.
He feels the current manager has failed to find a solution to the club’s struggles, further strengthening the argument for a change in the dugout.