Paul Scholes has encouraged Manchester United to completely overhaul their first-team squad in the summer, naming eight players he would strongly consider offloading if he was in charge of the club.

United have risen to third place in the Premier League table following a remarkable resurgence under interim head coach Michael Carrick in the wake of Ruben Amorim’s dismissal.

Without the distraction of any cup competition during their run-in, the Red Devils appear well-positioned to secure Champions League qualification for the first time since their group-stage exit in 2023.

Given United sit seven points better off than sixth-placed Chelsea with seven matches remaining, it would require an almighty collapse for Carrick’s men to miss out on Europe’s premier club competition.

Old Trafford bosses spent in the region of £200million to strengthen their misfiring attack last summer, as Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo all signed on the dotted line for big money.

Senne Lammens was also brought in from Royal Antwerp for a fee of around £18million and has provided an assured presence between the sticks which was so badly lacking when Andre Onana was number one.

But attentions are beginning to turn to the transfer market once again, with United’s hierarchy ready to release yet more funds while identifying central midfield as a key area of focus.

Casemiro confirmed in January that this season would be his last at the Theatre of Dreams and several players will be expected to follow the Brazilian out the exit door when the transfer window opens for business.

On the latest The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Scholes discussed potential ins and outs while playing a game of ‘Keep or Sell?’ with former United team-mate Nicky Butt.

The legendary ex-United and England midfielder pulled no punches with his answers, going into some detail about which squad members he thinks should be safe – and those who should be on the chopping block.

If it were up to Scholes, Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui, Patrick Dorgu, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Manuel Ugarte and Joshua Zirkzee would all be in the frame to leave along with Casemiro.

Keep or Sell? United’s goalkeeper and centre-backs

Senne Lammens

Scholes: ‘Keep.’

Matthijs De Ligt

Scholes: ‘I think it’d be between him and Harry Maguire who you’d keep, I think you’d keep just one of them. If he [De Ligt] was fit, I’d probably just go for him.’

Harry Maguire

Scholes: ‘Look, I think he’s been really good and he’s brought himself back from the dead really. I think he’s been sensational with what he’s done, I’m so so pleased for him, but I’m thinking about a Manchester United team you want to win the league and the Champions League and that’s where United should be aiming. I’m not sure you’d do that with Maguire, unless you’ve got someone like a Rio [Ferdinand] next to him then possibly, yeah.

‘It’s Manchester United, you’ve got to be talking about winning the Premier League. If it’s one of four, you’d probably take him but I’d have De Ligt in that as one of four. I think they’re both quite similar but De Ligt is a little bit younger so that’s on his side, he’s a little bit quicker, so I’d probably just go for De Ligt.’

Lisandro Martinez

Scholes: ‘Do you know what? After, publicly we got a bit of s*** [for their recent comments about Martinez], in all seriousness, when he was playing I thought he was really good. I do, I genuinely think he was really good. When I’m talking about one of four, you think about Maguire and De Ligt with a Martinez… I don’t think he suits them. I think they need somebody more dominant, more quick, more strong, someone who just takes the ball of centre-forwards, “Get out my way!”, Jaap Stam, Rio Ferdinand.

‘The one thing I like about him is he’s got a great left foot, he plays really good, but are you winning the Premier League, the Champions League with him as your centre-half? Again, I think every centre-half they’ve got, they need a better one next to them.

‘I’d probably just keep him.’

Leny Yoro

Scholes: ‘I think he’s struggled, me. I think there’s something in there, I think he needs a bit of time, but if you had to make a choice now, I’d probably sell him.’

Keep or Sell? United’s full-backs

Diogo Dalot

Scholes: ‘Just keep. He’s a squad player for me.’

Noussair Mazraoui

Scholes: ‘Sell. I don’t know where he fits in. He’s been like a right-sided centre-half and they don’t play with three centre-halves anymore. if there’s three centre-halves then you’d probably have him as one of five or six but I think it’s probably time to let him go now.’

Patrick Dorgu

Scholes: ‘They brought him in as a wing-back and he’s not really played much there. I’d probably sell. I’m not sure what position he is. Again, if you keep him then he’s just a squad player.’

Luke Shaw

Scholes: ‘When he was playing consistently, I don’t think there was a better left-back in the world, not just Europe. But if you’re asking me now, and he’s done alright appearance-wise this year, but I’d sell him. He doesn’t play enough games.’

Keep or Sell? United’s midfielders

Mason Mount

Scholes: ‘I’d probably sell him and I like him, he’s a great footballer. But he’s never going to play in front of Bruno Fernandes. I’m not sure what other position he could play and he doesn’t play enough games.’

Bruno Fernandes

Scholes: ‘Talk about player of the year, in a team that, in the first half of the season were terrible, he could be that player. Keep him.’

Casemiro

Scholes: ‘Yeah, I think it’s right [he’s going]. I think he’s turned his fortunes around, he’s been very good, but United need strengthening in that position massively.’

Manuel Ugarte

Scholes: ‘I think he’ll go.’

Kobbie Mainoo

Scholes: ‘Keep.’

Keep or Sell? United’s attackers

Matheus Cunha

Scholes: ‘Keep.’

Joshua Zirkzee

Scholes: ‘Sell.’

Amad Diallo

Scholes: ‘Keep.’

Bryan Mbeumo

Scholes: ‘Keep.’

Benjamin Sesko

Scholes: ‘Keep. I like him, me, I think he’s alright.’

United have a week remaining before they return to action at home to bitter rivals Leeds in the Premier League.

The Red Devils haven’t played since dropping points in a 2-2 draw at Bournemouth on March 2020 and will spend the coming days putting in the hard yards at an intensive training camp in Dublin.

Carrick has named a 25-man party for the trip to the Republic of Ireland, with Martinez and Dorgu both included following injury layoffs.

Dalot and Tom Heaton miss out due to illness, while De Ligt is still yet to return following a back injury he sustained in November.

After facing Leeds, Champions League -chasing United lock horns with Chelsea, Brentford, Liverpool, Sunderland and Nottingham Forest, before travelling to Brighton on the final day of the season.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MORE: Rio Ferdinand names £100m star as ‘first-choice’ transfer target for Man Utd’s midfield

MORE: Gareth Barry urges Manchester United to sign £80m star before the World Cup

MORE: Wayne Rooney names the manager Man Utd ‘100 per cent have to’ appoint

Manchester United starlet JJ Gabriel appears to be destined for a great future, but only if he heeds the advice of those who came before him

JJ Gabriel already carries a great deal of pressure on his shoulders despite being just 15 years of age.

Luckily for him, the Manchester United wonderkid is at a club which has developed a plethora of other talents in the past, allowing them to go from academy prospects to genuine world beaters. Gabriel is currently one of the most exciting youngsters at Carrington, having been a revelation for the Under-18s this season despite his tender age.

He has even been called up to train with the first-team by Michael Carrick and his predecessor Ruben Amorim this season. However, the London-born forward will have to stay patient before earning his first minutes under Carrick, given he is ineligible to play Premier League or Premier League 2 football until next season.

FOLLOW OUR MAN UNITED FB PAGE! Latest news and analysis via the MEN’s Manchester United Facebook page

And while there is no doubting his quality, there are certain traits Gabriel still needs to develop and rules he needs to adhere to in order to guarantee his inclusion in the first team, just as the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo did before him.

The Manchester Evening News now takes a look at some of the lessons some past United greats have shared, which will help the highly-rated teenager reach his true potential and enjoy a stellar career.

Roy Keane

Former United captain Roy Keane previously explained how a player, even one as gifted as Gabriel, cannot be labelled world class unless they manage to play at a consistently high level for many years. Keane lifted almost every trophy there was to win during his time as skipper and will know very well what it takes to be a world class player.

The pundit believes very few of his former team-mates managed to reach those heights due to a lack of consistency – a crucial lesson for Gabriel if he ever hopes to become a world class player himself.

The Irishman used his former team-mate Ryan Giggs as an example, saying: “If I look back now, you’d have to class Giggsy. I always class the world-class players as lads who were doing it for nine, 10, 11 [years] – obviously, Giggsy’s done it for a lot longer. To me, that’s the key to being a really good player: you’ve got to be consistent.”

Ryan Giggs

Giggs himself has explained what it takes to make it through the United academy and become a star previously, by recalling his own journey and mindset. The Welshman, who has more Premier League titles than any other player in history, came through the ranks with the famous Class of ‘92, who each went on to become important first-team players.

The winger revealed the key trait that made each of them successful was a fire in their belly to win and to constantly improve. He recalled how he and his young team-mates were so competitive on the training ground that they often played on the edge of what could be deemed acceptable.

“When I was growing up in the youth team literally I would do anything to win a five-a-side game, against my best friends in Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, we’d be kicking each other and if you lost it would be with you for the rest of the day and this is the day before the game, an eight-minute, nine-minute five-a-side game,” Giggs told beIN SPORTS.

“Whereas in my experience now you see players coming off and they’ve just lost a small-sided game and they’re laughing and joking and I’m like ‘you’ve just lost a game’. Even if it doesn’t mean anything, it’s that winning mentality and doing anything you can to win.

“My youth team coach, Eric Harrison, I can’t remember him giving free-kicks. He would just let you get on with it, you don’t want injuries but he wanted that will to win and he wanted that feeling you’d take into the Saturday. Maybe that’s taken away from the players a little bit now, but you have to find that winning mentality from within somehow. Sir Alex was the master of mind games and psychology.”

Gary Neville

Gary Neville has perhaps been the most outspoken about what it takes for an academy youngster to break into the first team at United. The former right-back even created a list of 14 key bits of advice for young players to adhere to, which used to hang in the academy changing room.

Neville’s list was made up of the following commandments:

1. Choose who you follow.

2. Give 100 per cent all the time. You have never arrived at Manchester United so you must maintain a high standard all the time, every day.

3. Always remember why you began to play football — you loved it for its own sake and not as a means to get money, fame, girls, cars etc.

4. Ownership and responsibility — take care of your own affairs thus learning to do things for yourself, and not relying on others to do things for you: bank accounts, passports and so on. Make your own decisions!

5. Analyse and assess your own performance — be your own coach.

6. Have a strong work ethic — work harder than anyone else and you’ll overtake players with far more talent than you have.

7. Give the profession all that you have got, and you’ll have no regrets.

8. You have to have character and personality to play for Manchester United which you can develop over time.

9. Be a risk taker because it is a different kind of leadership.

10. Success and failure are two sides of the same coin, and you have to deal emotionally with both experiences. Remember that if you win or lose you can still have that Chinese on a Saturday night — keep things in perspective.

11. Learn more about yourself and what works for you.

12. Don’t leave anything to chance.

13. There are different routes to reach the top and very few players go ‘route one’ — like Giggs or [Wayne] Rooney. The challenge for you is to find the right pathway because we’re all different.

14. The ability to deal/cope with injuries is vital and should be approached with a strong mentality. See injury as an opportunity to develop body strength, and ‘reset’ your mind (refresh) for the various challenges ahead.

The Man United legend has addressed the post he made on social media following the Premier League loss against Newcastle.

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has revealed that former teammate Michael Carrick ‘wasn’t upset’ by his social media message sent in the aftermath of the loss against Newcastle. United fell to a 2-1 loss at St James’ Park on Wednesday night, their first defeat since Carrick took over.

Under the interim manager, United have won six of the eight Premier League games, drawing one, with the one loss coming against the Magpies. The impressive form has seen them climb up into third place in the Premier League table, which is a boost to their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

Despite that, Scholes sent a post on social media in the aftermath of the defeat, appearing to criticise Carrick and the United players.

FOLLOW OUR MAN UNITED FB PAGE! Latest news and analysis via the MEN’s Manchester United Facebook page

He wrote: “Michael has definitely got something special about him…cos Utd have been [expletive] last four games.” He later deleted the post.

Speaking on his The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast on Monday, Scholes has now explained the message and revealed a conversation with Carrick over it. “It was in no way intended to be offensive towards Michael,” he said.

“Michael is one of the nicest people you will ever meet in football, he’d be the last person that I would want to offend.

“I messaged Michael anyway. I went straight to Michael and said, ‘Look, I was never intending to upset you’

“And I don’t think I needed to say that anyway and he told me himself he wasn’t upset by it.”

Reacting to the post on the Rest is Football podcast, former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer labelled it as ‘weird’.

Host Gary Lineker said: “You see, there’s a little bit of beef between Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick? He’s digging him out, isn’t he? He’s not exactly being very supportive of his old team-mate, is he?”

Shearer then responded with: “It’s a strange, it’s weird, isn’t it?”

Lineker then added: “It’s weird, isn’t it? Maybe there’s a bit of history there. Who knows?”

Fellow pundit Micah Richards said: “I need a fact checker on that though, I don’t believe it’s true. Everyone is saying it’s true, it has got on all the headlines from social media.

“But if he did say that, Scholesy (Paul Scholes) when you see him, he is one of the nicest guys ever and I don’t think he has got any aspirations to be a coach. As an ex-teammate, I thought they had love for each other, but it was strange to say the least.”

Paul Scholes has insisted he did not mean to offend his former team-mate Michael Carrick after a social media barb aimed at the Manchester United head coach on Wednesday night.

Scholes posted that “Michael has definitely got something special about him, (because) United have been c*** last four games,” shortly after United lost 2-1 at Newcastle.

Despite the loss, the first since Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim, United sit third in the Premier League and are challenging for Champions League qualification.

And responding to criticism of his comment, Scholes, speaking on the GoodBadFootball podcast, said: ‘Michael is one of the nicest people you will ever meet in football – he’d be the last person I would want to offend.

‘I messaged Michael anyway. I went straight to Michael and said, ‘Look, I never intended to upset you.’ And I don’t think I needed to say that anyway, and he told me himself he wasn’t upset by it.

‘I think people have just took it differently from what was meant. The only thing I was saying was that I don’t think they played that well the last four games, and he’s still managing to get results.’

Scholes’ comments were criticised by another former United player, Patrice Evra, who also took aim at perceived negativity from fellow pundits Roy Keane and Gary Neville.

‘It annoys me because we want to be in the top four, and those comments are unnecessary, but this is what you do when you work in TV.’ said Evra. ‘You can’t be positive, you have to be negative.’

Another United stalwart, who played alongside Carrick and Scholes, Rio Ferdinand, meanwhile, confirmed he had been in touch with the 51-year-old and clarified there was no animosity between the pair.

‘Everyone was saying is Scholesy drunk has he had a few too many to drink, Ferdinand said when referring to the incident on his Rio Presents YouTube channel.

‘I actually texted him and said ‘what’s going on?’ But Scholesy is Scholesy. He said ‘listen I said he’s special but we have been rubbish the last four games’.

‘And he isn’t wrong. We have been rubbish the last four games in terms of performance. It hasn’t been top, I wouldn’t say rubbish. It hasn’t been oh my god I’m going to pay to watch that against next week, it’s been flat.

‘People are going ‘I thought he was his teammate, I thought he’d support him a bit more. Did he need to say that?’ Those are obviously the questions people are asking if there a bit of beef between them?

‘Listen, there’s not beef between them two. They’re two really placid, calm guys. Carra has the upmost respect for Scholesy and Scholesy the same.

‘It was just interpreted differently to the way Scholesy meant it to come across.

‘He’s just being honest and brutal. One thing I’d say abouut him, he didn’t say much in the changing room but when he did it was normally a cutting comment so I’m not surprised he is how he is as a pundit right now.’

MORE: Rio Ferdinand reveals the truth over Paul Scholes ‘beef’ with Michael Carrick

MORE: Alan Shearer disagrees with Liam Rosenior’s comments about ‘world-class’ Chelsea star

MORE: Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta slammed over January transfer decision

Manchester United are not in action this weekend due to their FA Cup exit

Michael Carrick will be searching for how Manchester United can improve after his first defeat as manager. The club’s earlier FA Cup elimination means the squad are not in action until next weekend.

While other teams plan their path to a Wembley final, the United boss will want to guarantee his players are thoroughly prepared for their vital game against Aston Villa. The two sides are equal on points, with United positioned above Unai Emery’s outfit on goal difference.

An impressive sequence of six victories in seven matches propelled the team firmly into Champions League contention before suffering defeat to Newcastle on Wednesday. It marked the first setback of Carrick’s reign and the reaction to the result has split opinion.

Beyond Old Trafford, a Barcelona star has indicated where United faltered in their management of Marcus Rashford. Here, MEN Sport examines some of the latest developments surrounding the club.

FOLLOW OUR MAN UNITED FB PAGE! Latest news and analysis via the MEN’s Manchester United Facebook page

Man United receive Marcus Rashford dig

Robert Lewandowski has revealed why he believes his Barcelona team-mate Marcus Rashford has recaptured his best form. The 28-year-old, who last featured for United in December 2024, has flourished since moving to Spain.

The forward has been a standout performer at his parent club and Barcelona have the option to make Rashford’s move permanent for £26million. Lewandowski has suggested that United’s management style may have negatively impacted Rashford’s performances.

“Marcus is the guy, if you give him confidence and he sees that you believe in him, he can give you back 200 per cent,” the striker told Sky Sports. “He’s a very nice guy. We spoke because we are sitting in the dressing room beside [each other]. We also play ping-pong.

“I see that this guy is very kind, very nice guy but also because of this he needs someone standing behind him. If he does have this confidence he can really play his best football and on the best level.

“He has huge potential. He has everything. He has speed, he has technique, he has a shot, he has left foot, right foot, skills.”

Man United icons criticised

Patrice Evra has expressed his bewilderment at the reaction of some United legends following the team’s defeat to Newcastle. His former colleague Carrick has managed to turn around the club’s season but that hasn’t shielded the new manager from criticism.

Following the Newcastle game, United great Paul Scholes took a swipe at the head coach. In a now-deleted Instagram story, he wrote: “United have been crap last four games… night.” Evra has questioned why Scholes and other United stalwarts haven’t fully backed Carrick.

“I hope Paul Scholes’ Instagram story is fake,” Evra told gambling site Stake. “I hope he was hacked. To be honest, I’m not surprised at that from Scholesy. He was the quietest player I’ve ever played with in my entire career. Now, in the media, he drops bombshells.

“I really don’t understand the lack of support behind Michael Carrick, he’s one of us and he’s doing very well. There’s been negative analysis from Scholesy, but also from Roy Keane and Gary Neville.

“It annoys me because we want to be in the top four, and those comments are unnecessary, but this is what you do when you work in TV. You can’t be positive, you have to be negative.”

Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

£49

£35

Sky

Get Sky Sports here

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

Sky shows at least 215 live Premier League games each season, an increase of up to 100, plus Formula 1, darts, golf and more.

Former Manchester United star Paul Scholes has a history of taking aim at Manchester United managers

Paul Scholes’ recent scathing criticism of Manchester United interim boss Michael Carrick is nothing new for the Old Trafford icon. Scholes slammed his former team-mate following United’s 2-1 defeat away to Newcastle on Wednesday evening.

Carrick has been imperious since replacing Ruben Amorim at the beginning of the year. Defeat in the north east was his first since becoming United caretaker boss for the second time in his career.

While Scholes reserved some choice words for the 44-year-old, Carrick is not the only United manager who’s been on the receiving end of a rollicking from the ex-England star.

FOLLOW OUR MAN UNITED FB PAGE! Latest news and analysis via the MEN’s Manchester United Facebook page

The TNT Sports pundit has unloaded on coaches from Jose Mourinho to Ruben Amorim. Here, we take a look at what Scholes has had to say on several former United bosses.

Michael Carrick

Following the disappointing result against the Magpies, an irritated Scholes took aim at Carrick via social media. On his Instagram story, he posted: “Michael has definitely got something special about him…cos Utd have been c**p last four games…night.”

In their previous four games, United had earned 10 points from 12, having beaten Crystal Palace at home and Everton away. They also drew with West Ham away and beat Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.

Scholes then displayed his appreciation for Newcastle’s midfielder Sandro Tonali, inscribing the Italian’s surname next to a love heart emoji.

Ruben Amorim

In December 2025, just weeks from Amorim’s sacking, Scholes unleashed on the Portuguese manager. Speaking on his podcast with former team-mate Nicky Butt and Paddy McGuinness, The Good, the Bad and the Football, Scholes laid into Amorim and his footballing philosophy.

Scholes said: “I don’t think the manager gets the club, full stop. I just don’t think he’s the right man. Man United is about risk and entertainment, more than anything.

“Having fans on the edge of their seat f*****g ready to go. If you go to Sporting Lisbon and watch, they played three at the back. Right away, that’s a no.

“Man United never do that. They can’t do that. They just can’t, it’s been proven over years and years and years. I just don’t think he gets it.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Solskjaer was relieved of his United managerial duties in November 2021. While Scholes didn’t lambast his ex-team-mate, he did concede that Solskjaer didn’t have what it takes to lift United to the heights of winning the game’s biggest trophies.

“He probably couldn’t take us to that next level,” Scholes said after the Norwegian was sacked. “He got us to second in the Premier League, which isn’t bad. Numerous semi-finals.

“A final as well last year, but he just couldn’t make that final step. I have to say it’s difficult. You think of Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea, there’s a lot of quality in this Premier League. Whoever comes now, it’s not going to be easy to get Manchester United to where they want to be.”

Erik ten Hag

Back in September 2024, after United were soundly beaten by Spurs, Scholes dug out the Dutchman for a series of disjointed performances. Ten Hag was sacked by United in October 2024.

“You don’t know how they’re going to play,” Scholes said on SuperSport. “You don’t know how they’re going to approach games, whether they are going to play on the counter-attack or sit deep or whether they’re going to try to have all the possession in the game.

“We’ve no idea. They look like an uncoached football team. The players looked dead today, they looked flat and they looked like they were thinking ‘I don’t know what to do’. There’s no enthusiasm for the game of football and that can only come from the training pitch.”

Ralf Rangnick

Rangnick succeeded Solskjaer at the end of November 2021. Following this period as boss, it was agreed that the German would continue in a consultancy role for another two years.

Ultimately, Rangnick departed United for good at the end of that season after leading them to sixth place in the Premier League. Scholes was quick to judge the former RB Leipzig manager’s time in charge at Old Trafford, saying he didn’t resemble a top-level coach.

“They’re either not taking the instructions on, or they don’t want to,” Scholes said on United’s players under Rangnick.

“It’s been a bad six or seven months, the season’s not been good enough. The sack for Ole was coming, we all knew that, we all felt that but where was the plan? You think there has to be a plan, they must be bringing in an elite top coach into the football club to revive the season.

“Man Utd, they should have the best of everything. And to not have a plan and bring, what is technically, a sporting director. I think he’s coached a team two years out of the last 10 years.

“Don’t get me wrong, I like the man, I think he comes across really well. His team, it just looks like he lacks experience in the last five or six years. His team, they’re a team of individuals.”

Jose Mourinho

The Portuguese legend took over at United in 2016 after winning several major trophies in his career. Despite winning the Europa League and League Cup in 2017, United were labouring under the ex-Chelsea boss just a year on.

He was eventually sacked after a sobering defeat to Liverpool in December 2018, with Scholes claiming the former Real Madrid manager was “embarrassing” the club.

“The team is very low on confidence,” Scholes said in October 2018, with United struggling in the Champions League and Premier League.

“We talk about them being dull, and we talk about the first 10 games of the season, but you’re going into last season as well.

“The last year has been dull to watch. I don’t know how many times we’ve sat in this studio watching games and we end up watching the other screens, looking at the other games, trying to find some goals.

“He’s coming out in press conferences, he’s constantly having a go at players, he’s having a go at people above him because he’s not getting what he wants and I think his mouth is probably out of control and I think he’s embarrassing the club.”

Paul Scholes called out Michael Carrick on Wednesday night after naming his preferred candidates to take over as Manchester United manager

Paul Scholes had already named the six managers he wants to take charge of Manchester United before he fired a dig at Michael Carrick.

The United legend and pundit has been vocal in recent months about who he would like to see in the dugout at Old Trafford. Scholes named several potential successors to Ruben Amorim while the Portuguese was still head coach, and has continued to do so even after Carrick replaced Amorim as interim manager until the end of this season.

Scholes does not appear to be convinced by Carrick despite his former team-mate’s impressive start at United, where he won six games and drew one in his first seven fixtures. Following Carrick’s first defeat on Wednesday, a 2-1 loss at Newcastle, the former midfielder aimed a sarcastic jibe at the current boss.

FOLLOW OUR MAN UNITED FB PAGE! Latest news and analysis via the MEN’s Manchester United Facebook page

He wrote on his Instagram story: “Michael has definitely got something special about him… cos Utd have been c*** last four games… night.” That is in line with Scholes’ comments over the past five months, where he has not named Carrick among his list of candidates that he would like to come in as United’s manager.

Recently, he said on The Good, The Bad & The Football Podcast that former Real Madrid and Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti was his preferred pick, despite the Italian currently being in charge of the Brazil national team ahead of this summer’s World Cup.

Scholes said: “The perfect one out there – I say perfect – Ancelotti is still out there. I know he is the coach of Brazil. He is the perfect one for Manchester United, where you think he will make players feel a million dollars. And he has the experience of winning stuff. But the question is, is he too old now? That’s the only thing. Is there anyone else of that ilk, with more experience? They need presence as a leader.”

That was a different pick from the three names he listed in January after Amorim’s sacking. The 51-year-old had identified Aston Villa boss Unai Emery as a shrewd appointment. Despite his podcast co-host Nicky Butt not being convinced that Emery would leave Villa to join United, Scholes insisted the Spaniard could be swayed by the allure of Old Trafford.

He also named Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola as an option, highlighting his tremendous job on the south coast. Scholes admitted he was a big fan of the Spaniard’s philosophy, saying: “Iraola at Bournemouth, I think he plays attacking football.”

But the United icon’s preferred pick was England manager Thomas Tuchel. He said: “Number one for me, which I’d do in the summer, is Thomas Tuchel all day long. I think Tuchel is one of the very best out there. He’d be my number one target, and his contract with England is only until the summer.

“I think he can be a bit temperamental, and he could be quite difficult to handle. But he’s done it at big clubs. And he’s turned England around of late. You won’t know how much he’s done with England until the World Cup because the opposition is that bad. But England do look a lot better under him.”

Tuchel had been linked with the United job for some time before taking charge of the Three Lions in October 2024. The German famously won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 before being dismissed several months later, going on to manage Bayern Munich afterwards.

Yet, barring any disaster at the World Cup, Tuchel is set to remain England’s long-term manager, having signed a contract extension until the end of Euro 2028 since Scholes’ comments. Another name Scholes has mentioned ahead of Carrick is Eddie Howe of Newcastle, who has guided the club to the Champions League in recent years.

Speaking on The Overlap last October, he said: “Eddie Howe, Eddie Howe. I’m not sure about his mate [assistant manager Jason Tindall], but definitely him.”

Around the same time, he stated that Zinedine Zidane was a great alternative to Amorim. The former Real Madrid manager has been out of work since 2021 but has reportedly now reached a verbal agreement to become France’s manager after the World Cup.

Scholes said: “This is one of the very biggest clubs in the world, so they should have the very best in class. Zidane is the one who has been at a major, major club and won major honours. But I am not sure how educated he is with the English language or whether he actually wants to come to England. You never get that feeling with him.”

Paul Scholes may not be convinced by one Arsenal star’s quality, but feels the Gunners have a player he would love to call a teammate.

Mikel Arteta’s side is flying high at the top of the Premier League table, enjoying a morale-boosting 4-1 win over rivals Spurs on Sunday after recent draws against Brentford and Wolves.

The victory at Tottenham came thanks to braces from Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres, with the latter taking his tally for the season to 15 goals.

The summer signing from Sporting had a slow start to life with the Gunners, but now has 10 Premier League goals to his name and 15 in all competitions.

Scholes still does not see a striker of elite quality in the former Coventry City man, but reckons his Arsenal teammates will be delighted to play alongside him due to his workrate.

‘I think you’d love to play with him, he works his b******s off, he occupies them [defenders],’ Scholes said on The Good, The Bad and The Football.

‘Has he got the quality of a [Ruud] Van Nistelrooy or an Andy Cole, these kind of people? Probably not, but you’re pleased for him yesterday.’

Scholes had praise for the Swede, but couldn’t resist a dig at both Tottenham and Arsenal in his assessment.

‘He was probably playing against the most disorganised defence you’ve ever seen, that’ll help him,’ said the Manchester United legend.

‘Arsenal do struggle against a team that will just sit back and sit back and get in shape, Arsenal struggle big time.’

Nicky Butt also accepted that Gyokeres has had criticism for his level of quality, especially compared to great Arsenal strikers of the past, but showed his ability with the two finishes he produced against Spurs.

‘He’s had a lot of crap and a lot of pressure on him,’ said the former England midfielder. ‘He must have had a load of stick off Arsenal fans about forwards, the forwards they’ve had, and looking at him, his two finishes yesterday, he hit them as clean as a whistle.’

Eze echoed Scholes’ thoughts on Gyokeres’ workrate, saying after the win on Sunday: ‘He helps the team, not just with his goals but the effort he puts in. It gets players like me in the best positions and it helps a lot. He’s got his two goals today which he deserves.’

Gary Neville was also hugely impressed by the Sweden international, telling Sky Sports: ‘I thought it was his best moment of the season.

‘Not just because he scored two in a game against the biggest rivals and had a wonderful celebration over there with the Arsenal fans, but because his general performance from start to finish is what you would expect from him.’

MORE: ‘Doesn’t suit him’ – Chelsea told to sell Enzo Maresca’s £30m signing

MORE: Jamie Carragher praises Ruben Amorim’s ‘absolutely fantastic’ Manchester United signing

MORE: John Obi Mikel accuses Chelsea board of making ‘absolutely crazy’ mistake

Harry Maguire has found himself at the centre of a Manchester United transfer disagreement

Sam Allardyce has rubbished Paul Scholes’ claim that Manchester United should sign Cristian Romero, having been asked if he’d take the Tottenham captain over Harry Maguire.

Scholes recently heaped praise on Romero, 27, following United’s 2-0 win over Spurs. Despite the Argentine centre-back being sent off for a reckless challenge that eventually saw his team lose, United legend Scholes remains a huge fan of the player.

He said on The Good, The Bad & The Football: “I love watching him. I think his head’s checked out at Spurs. I’d love him at United. I just love the character of him.”

Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings

Whether United will in fact look to sign Romero in the summer remains to be seen, though any potential transfer may be dependent on whether former captain Maguire is kept on at Old Trafford. The central defender, 32, is set to become a free agent this summer unless he is handed a new contract in the coming months.

But former Premier League manager Allardyce thinks it would be the wrong decision to part ways with the Englishman in favour of bringing in Romero. When asked on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast what he made of Scholes’ comments and if he’d take Romero over Maguire, Allardyce was very clear that he valued Maguire’s defensive abilities more.

He slammed the Tottenham man by labelling him as “irrational”, claiming he has “so many flaws” and accusing Romero of still making the same rash mistakes he made when he was first signed.

Allardyce said: “Too risky [for United to sign him]. Too risky. Honestly, too risky. He doesn’t… Listen, if you’re a centre-half, your first priority, in respect to what Paul says, and I respect his opinion, is being a defender.

“‘How good are you at defending?’ Not, ‘How good are you at playing with the ball?’ That’s only an added bonus. People are looking for that more than looking at how good they are as defenders, which is a big problem at academy level.

“Because you’ve got all these 30 little coaches going around saying, ‘Can he play out from the back?’ Can he defend?! Like full-backs. That’s what their job is.”

Allardyce insisted Romero represents the type of defenders that are now emerging in modern football compared to his own time as a manager.

Romero was sent off against United earlier this month as Spurs suffered a 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford. The Argentine’s straight red card for his high and late challenge on Casemiro means he has now been dismissed more than any other player in the Premier League since he joined Spurs in 2021.

He is under contract at Tottenham until 2029 after signing a contract extension last summer. Romero’s defensive partner for Argentina, Lisandro Martinez, is currently one of United’s first-choice centre-backs. Martinez regularly plays alongside Maguire, who has made 15 appearances across all competitions this season.

FOLLOW OUR MAN UNITED FB PAGE! Latest news and analysis via the MEN’s Manchester United Facebook page