In our exclusive interview, the former Manchester United and Leeds player also discusses the title race, Michael Carrick's start as interim head coach at Man Utd, and his switch to golf in the upcoming Icon Series.
Lee Sharpe believes a top-four finish could secure Michael Carrick the permanent position as Man Utd manager, despite there being names such as Thomas Tuchel and Oliver Glasner in the mix for the role.
Carrick took over the role in early January following the departure of Ruben Amorim. But despite the daunting fixtures ahead against league leaders Arsenal and local rival Manchester City, Carrick’s team came away with six points and are now into fourth place in the league.
Many people are now calling for Carrick to be given the job as Man Utd manager, but Sharpe insists everyone needs to be patient and not get too excited as this has been seen with previous interim appointments before. United are currently / in the football betting odds to finish in the top four of the Premier League this season.
In our exclusive interview, Sharpe also discusses his former club Leeds’ striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and his chances at an England call-up, what Man Utd should be looking for in the transfer market and how Arsenal can get across the line to the Premier League title.
Michael Carrick has made a strong start to his managerial career at Manchester United. Would you give him the job now?
I think he’s been absolutely incredible. I don’t think anybody expected him to pull off what he’s done in the space of two weeks.
I know Manchester City aren’t quite the force they were, but they’re still sitting second in the league, and they’ve got a hell of a squad, so to beat them and then beat Arsenal away, it was absolutely fantastic.
I think without getting a little bit too excited, like we did a little bit with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when he first came in, we do have to give it time, because United have been renowned to step up a gear against the big teams, and then, for example, like in the next game against Fulham, to drop off a gear and to get beat or drop points.
So, I do think you have to be a little bit patient and a bit cautious. But if he continues with this style of play and gets these results that get us into the top four, then I don’t see why he can’t be the main candidate for the job.
Do you have a preference for the next Man Utd manager? Tuchel, Ancelotti, Pochettino, Glasner and Carrick have all been linked.
I don’t really have a preference at the moment, and that’s only because of the history that’s happened.
We’ve had Louis Van Gaal, we’ve had Jose Mourinho, who are experienced and world-renowned successful coaches that have come in and not quite been up to the task, or the job hasn’t been done properly.
Then you go with new managers like Ole, Ruben Amorim, and Erik Ten Hag, who I don’t think many people had heard of before they got the job.
So, they’ve sort of gone down both routes, and everything’s failed.
I suppose Thomas Tuchel would probably be the one who’s possibly the first choice for the club.
Oliver Glasner has done a great job at Crystal Palace, but then at United, it’s a totally different animal.
Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth has done an unbelievable job, so I think he would be a great candidate, but for what Michael Carrick has done in the first two games, and what kind of player he was, being that calm presence, then I think he’s put himself amongst the mix.
He’s already had his baptism of fire in management at Middlesbrough, where he did a great job until they started selling the better players.
But he’s someone who knows the club, he knows what’s expected and knows the pressures of being at Manchester United.
I know I’m getting carried away a little if I’m saying giving him the job now after two games, but I would say he would be as strong a candidate as any of those just because he knows the club and knows what it entails.
If he carries on in this manner, then he’ll be in the conversation and hard to ignore.
Did Ruben Amorim overcomplicate things? Did he really understand Manchester United?
I liked Amorim to be fair to him, and I think a lot of people did.
I think he spoke well, he got rid of the sort of bad eggs in the club, which was not easy to deal with, and he did a lot of things right.
But I do think that a good coach picks a team and a formation around the players he’s got, and Amorim was very stubborn in his three at the back, which has never really been a Man Utd way.
Having seen what Michael’s done in these first two games against the two top teams in playing a four at the back, it’s like a different team with a different mentality, and it just goes to show what the players can do.
As I said, we’ve got to wait for Fulham, and we’ve got to wait for when it’s not such a big game, and maybe they’re not quite up for it, who knows.
But certainly, it’s been important going back to basics, going back to what the players know, keeping things simple and creating an air of urgency, confidence and belief in each other, and working for each other.
I know Amorim added that to a certain degree, but I suppose you could say complicated would be the word.
I think he might have mentally complicated people. From hearing what he did in training with long, slow sessions, which was just trying to drill things into people.
You go into games flat, really mentally tired and get caught between one thought and another.
Carrick has certainly made things a lot clearer to the players and gone out with an intensity and a purpose which we’ve seen in the performances so far.
How important do you believe Steve Holland is in all of this?
I’ve never worked with him or met him, so I’ve not seen what he’s like.
Obviously, he’s worked with Gareth Southgate in England, so I think that stands him in good stead in the fact that he’s been around world-class players for a long time.
He knows how to deal with them, he knows how to get the best out of them, and he knows how to coach them.
As far as managerial differences between Gareth Southgate and Michael Carrick, I’m not sure what they would be. I think Michael just understands Manchester United.
He knows what he wants out of the players, so I think Steve Holland is a great appointment because Michael can have trust in him with his experience, what he’s done and the level he’s coached at.
I think to coach at World Cups and European Championships is as high an honour as you can get, so I think he’s a great appointment.
I think his knowledge and experience will be really appreciated, and again, it’s something that it looks like it’s paying off already.
Do you like Patrick Dorgu in this attacking role? Where is his best position for you?
I knew nothing about Dorgu before he signed for the club. I didn’t know where he played, I didn’t know what kind of player he was.
He was really unknown to me, so when you’re buying someone that you’re not sure where his best position is, he can come under some criticism.
It looks like he’s a winger, and that’s where he’s playing at the moment, and you can see he’s a beast.
He’s quick, he’s strong, obviously has an eye for goal, likes to create, and loves to get forward.
I think as a winger, having done it myself, having to play wing back, it’s pretty stifling and can take quite a lot out of your game both mentally and physically.
Being given a little bit more freedom to go forward and less defensive responsibility has really benefited him because he seems to be flying.
I think Amorim mentioning that he looks a little bit nervous and anxious on the ball probably didn’t help him while the manager was there.
But he’s another player that Carrick seems to have filled with confidence, belief and urgency.
He looks like a totally different player on the wing than he did as a wing-back.
Do you think Man Utd still need to sign a new striker, or will Sesko come good? What are your thoughts on his first season?
It’s probably not gone as well as he’d have wanted it, and probably not as the fans would have wanted it either.
But I think it just goes to show how difficult it is for a young player coming into Manchester United with the pressures and the expectancy for someone who is fresh into the Premier League, fresh into the club, and doesn’t really know what’s going on.
I think Michael Carrick will manage him properly. I think he’ll put him on 20 minutes here, 20 minutes there, maybe play him in a game here and there, but edge him into the team rather than stick him straight in there.
He won’t want to put the weight of the world onto his shoulders.
There is a player in there. I think he’s bright, he makes the right runs, he holds it up, and we can see he scores goals.
His size will cause problems for defenders, but I just think he needs a little bit more edging into the team and the situation rather than dropping in there with the weight on his shoulders.
Doing it as a number nine for Manchester United straight away is a really difficult thing for someone so young and inexperienced. So, I do think there’s a player in there. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him, and I’m sure he wants more from himself, but I think we’ll see that under Michael Carrick for the rest of this season.
I’d be very surprised if they signed another striker just because they’re desperate for midfielders.
Casemiro’s already said he’s going, and Ugarte will probably go as well, so they’re desperate for a couple of midfielders.
I don’t think a centre forward will be at the top of the priority list; it has to be midfielders, and maybe another fullback.
I’ll be very surprised if they get a striker, unless it’s someone who is more experienced and a little older that they can get on loan or on a cheap deal.
Especially after buying Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, it would be a shock if they go down the striker route.
How do you rate their chances of Champions League qualification with them now sitting inside the top four?
It’s a difficult ask to get the top four. The top three are sort of running away with it a little bit, so they’re going to be very difficult to catch.
That fourth and fifth spot, as it is currently, is absolutely vital and so valuable.
When you’ve got Liverpool and Chelsea amongst others with a shout at Champions League football, then it’s going to be very difficult.
But things are looking so positive now, and I’m sure Michael Carrick will be looking to make the most of the momentum that he’s picked up after the last two games.
If you can get another couple of results and really get on a good run, I don’t see why there’s any reason they can’t get there.
The way they’re playing the last two games has been incredible. The defensive cohesion of the team and work rate, creating chances and scoring goals.
This was something they struggled to do against teams under Amorim.
The last two games, they’ve looked like a top-four team without a shadow of a doubt, and if they can continue that momentum, keep the confidence, then I think there’s every reason they can get there.
Kobbie Mainoo is back in the side. Has he proved to be a key player in the resurgence so far under Michael Carrick?
I think he’s really important. When you get a player like Kobbie Mainoo, it’s important to make him feel a big part of the team in his preferred position.
Michael Carrick has done that with Bruno Fernandes. He’s put him in the right position, and he gets people to get the ball to him as soon as they can when they’re on the counterattack, and he lets him play to his strengths.
I think if we can look after Kobbie Mainoo a little bit and let him play to his strengths, then his abilities speak for themselves because he is phenomenal.
I think his ability to turn defence into attack is really good. In tight areas around the box, he can see a gap, and he can beat people.
He’s so comfortable on the ball and so composed, and people have been too focused on his weaknesses of not being able to get around.
He’s worked on that clearly, and fair play to him. You can see the physicality, and he’s still young, so that will only improve.
But again, play to his strengths. Get someone who’s going to help him in his weaknesses, and he can work on that side of the game as he learns.
United need to get him on the ball, get him creating, get him match fit and confident.
He still won’t be at full fitness, he’s only started the last three games, so once he’s started 10 games, then you’ll probably see another level rise in him again.
He’s so valuable to the team. The history of the academy as well. He’s one of those boys that can continue on for that legacy.
I think he’s very important to the club in many ways.
Casemiro was impressive yet again, although he’s already announced that he’s moving on. Could that be a mistake to let him go?
I think it is a mistake.
It was about 12 months ago when we were battered, and everyone’s saying his legs are gone, and he needs to leave the club.
He’s turned himself around, and he’s got himself a little bit fitter. He’s been one of our best players ever since.
You can see why Manchester United bought him. His reading of the game, breaking up of play, he’s quick thinking when we need to get the ball forward, and you can see exactly what he brings to the team.
To give him an extension of a year may have been an option, but I just think maybe with the sort of level of wages that he’s on would allow you to bring in two players, maybe even three.
I just think numbers at the moment are probably more important than having Casemiro around.
It’s fair to say that his experience in and around the dressing room is very valuable. Even if you’re not starting him, he’s an incredible option.
But he’d be a very expensive substitute to have on the bench if you’re not going to start him.
Manchester United are clearly in the market for a central midfield player. Wilfried Ndidi has been mentioned as a short-term solution. Is that the right route to go down?
I wouldn’t have thought so. I don’t think I’d be buying someone as a stopgap now.
Especially with the way the team’s played the last couple of games as well. You’ve got Mainoo and Casemiro, Bruno can drop in there if you are really short on options.
But he’s obviously better as a 10, a bit further forward. You’ve got Ugarte, who, although I think he will leave in the summer, can do the job for now.
I would wait until the summer, and I would buy the serious contenders that they’re looking at.
You’ve got Elliott Anderson at Nottingham Forest, Carlos Baleba at Brighton, and Adam Wharton at Crystal Palace.
I think if you can get a couple of those out of those three, then you’ve done a great job.
Man Utd are expected to sign a new midfielder this summer – any preference between Wharton, Baleba or Anderson?
It’s difficult to pick between the three of them, even though they all have different qualities.
I think Anderson’s been phenomenal at Forest. Wharton, we know, has been really good. Baleba has dropped off a little bit, and I don’t know whether that was because of the interest in United last summer, which maybe just affected his mind a little bit.
I know Brighton values him really highly, so they did not want to sell him last year because they thought that if he had a good season this year, then his price tag would go up even further.
I’m not sure that’s the case after the up and down season he’s had so far, but I don’t know.
I think Anderson and Baleba, or Wharton and Baleba. I personally would go with Baleba and one of the others, but I think all three are incredible players who have played regular Premier League football.
They know what it’s about, they know the physicality of the league, they’re good under pressure, and they’re good on the ball defensively and offensively.
So, if you get two out of the three, I’d take any of them.
Roy Keane has been mentioned a few times as someone who should be given the opportunity to manage Manchester United. Do you ever think that would be a possibility?
Probably not while Alex Ferguson’s alive.
I still think he has a bit of a say in the club, and I don’t think his name will go down well if you try to appoint him.
I don’t know. You could say before Michael Carrick came in, then maybe you could have stuck him in there for a couple of months, or until the end of the season, to shake things up a little bit.
But I think the club have made a good decision in Michael Carrick. I’m not saying that Keaney wouldn’t have sorted a few people out. I just think he might have upset a few more if he had got in there and seen performances like he’s been watching up until Michael took over.
I understand why people say get to get him in. But no, I think whilst Sir Alex is still mooching around the club, especially with the quote Keane came out with about him being there like a bad smell, he’s not doing himself any favours.
Where do you stand on the criticism sometimes labelled at this United side by ex-players? Should the current crop be able to handle this sort of scrutiny?
It’s a difficult one because when we were playing, you didn’t have social media, you didn’t have so much punditry on TV, and it wasn’t 24/7.
The game didn’t get analysed down to the last nitty-gritty minute or second of every game, so it’s a different thing now.
Podcasts had never been heard of when we played, and people need to say things sometimes that they’re feeling in that moment.
I don’t think the ex-players even say it as a sort of clickbait. I think they say it as a genuine feeling, having played for the club and seen players play there and seen what it takes to succeed.
Some of these lads are real winners and fighters in their teams.
To see Man Utd teams get beaten and come out of games looking quite poor is disappointing to a lot of people.
I think they just pick up on it, and sometimes it can seem to be a bit over the top, but it’s just expressing an opinion, and when you’re at a club like Manchester United, you’ve got to be able to take that and use it as fuel.
Sir Alex was one of the best at it. We’d get slated in a newspaper or slated on TV, and it was us against the world and a siege mentality.
We used it as fuel against them, and it drove us on to get results in the next game.
So, I think that’s what they have to do without taking it personally, and I think it’s just one of those things you get as a Man Utd player.
Looking at the title race, a lot of talk has been about Arsenal trying to get over the line – do you think they have the mentality to bounce back from recent disappointing results?
That’s the million-dollar question with Arsenal. We’ve seen it the last three or four years where they’ve got so close and not been able to get over the line.
The fact is that they’ve had a bit of a bad run now, and it’s not even, as Sir Alex would say, squeaky bum time.
We’re not at that time yet, and they’re having bad results. So, when the pressure does pile on those last six or seven, eight games, it’s going to be edgy for them.
I saw a stat yesterday where a lot of the strikers or forward players are hardly scoring goals in the last eight or nine games.
The strikers are not on fire, and they’re starting to let goals in. They weren’t conceding many goals up until Man Utd went down, and then they let three in one night.
It depends on what Mikel Arteta is doing in training, but it could look from the outside like the wheels are coming off at the moment.
Every team gets this, every team gets a little shaky at this part of the season, and it’s a tester for you, a test of your character, and a test of your belief.
We have to wait and see what kind of Arsenal team comes out in the next three or four games.
They need to get the momentum back somehow, in some way shape or form and start scoring goals and winning games again in the league.
Otherwise, it’s going to be a really difficult run, and the teams on their tail will be encouraged.
Villa are a strong side, and no one’s really backing Villa. They’re sort of coming up on the outside with no one really giving them a thought.
Manchester City, although they’re inconsistent, you wouldn’t bet against them putting a seven, eight or nine-game run in from now to the end of the season, beating everybody.
So, it’s not an easy run-in for Arsenal, and they need to find that momentum again.
You were part of that 1992/93 squad with the club having not won a league title in over 20 years at the time. Do you sympathise slightly with Arsenal when it came to nerves or anxiety trying to end an unwanted record?
It’s a really difficult one because obviously we hadn’t won the league for 20-something years, and then we lost the last First Division to Leeds in what was a bit of a nervous crumble.
The manager got nervous, we got nervous as players, and we all knew we got nervous once the League was done.
When we hadn’t won it, we all knew we’d been nervous in that season run-in, not played our own game, and nerves affected us.
The season after, it was important that we learned from that, and we managed to quash that straight away.
I just don’t think Arsenal have done that. Arsenal have compounded the fact that they’ve not been able to get over the line.
I know it’s difficult going up against Manchester City and Liverpool, and probably in another era, Arsenal would have two or three more titles with their points tally in recent seasons.
But they haven’t, and the belief system and how they deal with the final run into the season is vital, and they don’t know how to do that at the moment.
It’s going to take some really brave characters, some big characters and some strong characters in the dressing room, along with the manager and the coaching staff, to get them through.
It’s going to take some of the players when they’re out on the pitch to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and say, listen, we’re not losing this game.
We’re going to take three points, and we’re going to go on to win the league.
We had Bryan Robson to do that in our team. He dragged us all by the scruff of our necks through to winning the league, and without him, I’m not sure we’d have done it.
Do they need more firepower upfront despite the form of Dominic Calvert-Lewin?
I’ve not seen too much of Leeds over the last couple of months, but I think Calvert-Lewin has done a fantastic job since getting into the team.
Like always with Calvert-Lewin, it’s that question of, can he stay fit for long enough?
I can see why they would want backup in that case, and I think that it just goes to show that they are thinking offensively and creating chances in games.
Calvert-Lewin is doing a great job at the moment, but they’re thinking positively. The manager thinks defensively that they’re going to be okay, and I’m happy for Daniel Farke because he was under severe pressure before they went on this run, and now he’s managed to turn it around.
They’ve got a great chance of staying up now because the two bottom teams are probably already down, and quite a few teams are fighting to avoid that last relegation spot.
The bottom two might be a bit too far away to catch up, so it’s just the last team that’s in contention to stay up, but there could be some clubs looking over their shoulder.
On Calvert-Lewin, do you think he has a good chance of going to the World Cup as back up to Harry Kane? Who would you take from the English strikers available for selection?
I know Calvert-Lewin is going to be one of them who’s in the conversation. I think Calvert-Lewin is as good as anybody in England on his day. If he’s fit and raring, then he’s a real handful.
He’s big, he’s aggressive, makes intelligent runs in the box, and most importantly, scores goals.
He would be worth a gamble, and he’s never going to play 90 minutes for England, which would probably suit him.
He can come on and make a difference in games when they’re tight, maybe with 20 minutes to go, or even extra time.
So, I think he would be a half-decent option to take with us.
Watkins would be another good one to take, and he’s a little bit different to Calvert-Lewin in the fact that he’s not as physical and as big, but he holds the ball up really well.
He brings people in and can score a goal. He’s played in the Champions League as well, so he has that big game experience.
Danny Welbeck is someone who’s been doing it for years; he’s a really experienced option to have for England.
He’s kind of in the same ilk as Harry Kane, not in terms of quality, but he likes to drop in and link the play like we see him do at Brighton. He’s an intelligent player, makes intelligent runs, and is another who could score goals. He also has a decent record for England.
Maybe with Welbeck, he’s probably better suited to playing in teams where there’s a bit of space in behind.
Whereas Calvert-Lewin, you could probably stick him on when teams are sort of camped on the edge of the box, and you’re trying to load it in the box and get crosses in.
Calvert-Lewin will suit you if you’re more direct, but all three are great options, and I think Thomas Tuchel will have a bit of a headache deciding who to take.
You’re about to be part of the next icon series. Who is the best footballer turned golfer that you’ve played with?
That would have to be the ‘Bulldog’ Jimmy Bullard.
He’s phenomenal; he strikes the ball pure and hits it like a tour pro. He’s a proper golfer and is far and away the best player.
I’m interested in seeing Gareth Bale because I’ve never played with him, but obviously, he’s a very good player himself.
Andriy Shevchenko is another one who’s a brilliant golfer, so there are a few out there that will be interesting to see how good they are this week
What’s it like being captained by Lee Westwood and a former Masters champion in Danny Willett? Are they on another level compared to an amateur scratch golfer?
Ball-striking-wise, these pros are just on another level, but what I would say is Jimmy Bullard isn’t a million miles away from them.
That’s how good Jimmy is; he hits it as good as some of these players.
But for us mere mortals, we pay close attention to how they strike a ball, last year we had Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia, who are both brilliant players who have had great careers.
Watching them stripe it on the range was an experience, and obviously, we can use a captain’s pick where they get to take one shot in the tournament at any point.
They’re phenomenal, though. The sound of the ball, and the sound of the club head, is another level.
Watching their swings, how consistently they swing it, and how far they can hit it. They’re just on another planet.
It’s great to watch as a golf lover, and spending time with these guys is always a great experience.
You’re part of an infamous scene in the Inbetweeners series, even though you weren’t present for it. When did you first hear about it, and does it still get mentioned to you these days?
It’s funny because I used to watch a bit of The Inbetweeners, even though I don’t remember much from that particular episode.
I still get people to this day, usually younger lads, when they find out who I am.
They’ll come up to me and go, “It’s Lee Sharpe, Lee Sharpe. No, it’s Roy Keane”.
So, people still do come up to me with that, but you take it in good faith because it’s still funny, and it kind of made me well-known again after I wasn’t, so I’m very thankful for being included in the show.
I’ve never met anyone from the show, so I have no idea why it was me who was mentioned, but it’s very funny and flattering to be a small part of it.
