JAMIE CARRAGHER has backed Ajax boss Erik ten Hag for the full-time Manchester United job.

Both Man Utd and Ajax crashed out of the Champions League on Tuesday night, losing to Atletico Madrid and Benfica respectively.

Ten Hag is one of the favourites for the permanent job, where he would replace interim boss Ralf Rangnick with the German moving into an advisory role.

Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino is also being considered for the role and may not be in the French capital long after their Champions League capitulation against Real Madrid.

But Carragher believes the early knockout round exit will hurt Pochettino more than Ten Hag, who is still cutting his teeth.

When asked whether the Champions League disappointment will hurt Ten Hag, Carragher told CBS Sports: "It shouldn't do. You can't judge a manager on one game.

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"I think it's damaged Mauricio Pochettino more than the Ajax manager because the team they had, the situation they found themselves in that game and you're actually looking at his management as one of the reasons why they went out."

On who should land the United job out of Poch and the Dutchman, he said: "I'd go with Ten Hag because I think he's an up and coming manager.

"When you look at Ajax, yes, obviously dominant within their league.

"But what he's done in the Champions League in terms of the first Ajax team that he sort of and built and got to the final – that fell apart.

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"Then to create this team, yes it's gone out at the last 16, but I think if you were judging him on a coach you'd look at the group stage as well – winning every game and the way they win.

"It's not just like what trophy a manager has won now, how his team play, how he comes across.

"I think he's worked with Pep Guardiola, he was at Bayern Munich as the reserve team manager there so he's got plenty of experience.

"He's at a club now, Ajax, where you can actually go and take their players or managers – selling clubs and I like the way they play manager.

"I was watching him at the end when the whistle went and I really liked the way he conducted himself.

"He shook the hand with every official, he stopped one of his players who was trying to get to the official and was emotional, screaming and shouting.

"He had a nice bit of class about him because you can't always win.

"If it was me I'd be thinking 'yeah' he plays really good football, he seems a good character, built two teams at Ajax that have done really well, and that's what Manchester United need – somebody to build a team."

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