Important but temporary! Paul Scholes believes Michael Carrick will not be the permanent manager of Manchester United.
On 27 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Michael Carrick made an impressive debut as Manchester United's caretaker manager after taking over from Rúben Amorim, who had led the team through a 14-month crisis.
Carrick previously served as interim manager during the 2021/22 season after Ole Gunnar Solskjær was dismissed, achieving two wins and one draw. This month, he has returned to continue that strong form.
Carrick's first game back in charge was the Manchester Derby, where he passed with flying colors, leading the Red Devils to a confident and aggressive 2-0 victory over Manchester City.
He then shocked football fans worldwide by leading an away win against league leaders Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, 3-2, despite falling behind early—reviving hopes among United fans for a return to glory.
The excellent results sparked calls for the club to appoint him as permanent manager, but Paul Scholes, the club legend, believes Michael Carrick may not get the permanent role, explaining, “The timing is very good; the players just returned from the African Nations Cup, everything seems aligned for him, but he still has to prove himself.”
“The past year has been so bad it couldn’t get worse, so as a caretaker, the pressure is almost none. But once you have the permanent job, when the new season starts, you have to win from the very first match.”
“They probably still remember the Ole situation. If that hadn’t happened, Michael might have had more opportunities. But if he has to compete with someone like Thomas Tuchel this summer, the outcome is almost predictable given Tuchel’s experience managing big teams and winning trophies, which he can’t match.”
Scholes also thinks Carrick might be better suited to managing Tottenham Hotspur if Thomas Frank is replaced, saying, “That might be the Tottenham job for him—I wouldn’t be surprised.”