With Michael Carrick looking increasingly likely to be sacked by Manchester United, Paul Scholes has already revealed who he believes is the perfect manager to lead the Red Devils.

The north-west outfit lost 3-0 at home to Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon, extending their winless run across all competitions to eight matches.

Goals from Rayan, Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson secured the Cherries the three points, and prompted a chorus of boos to ring around Old Trafford at the full-time whistle. United now sit 16th in the Premier League table, on the cusp of the relegation zone after eight matches.

Carrick's days now look numbered, and fans and pundits are subsequently starting to speculate over who might succeed the former United midfielder in the Old Trafford dugout.

Paul Scholes Names 'Perfect' Carrick Replacement

Carrick was appointed on a permanent basis after leading United to a comfortable top five finish last season. However, securing Champions League football seems to have hurt the manager, who is struggling to cope with a much more congested fixture schedule and a rather slim squad.

He also appears to have lost the support of some players, with Bruno Fernandes publicly questioning his tactics after Wednesday night's loss away at Como.

A stern coach renowned for his man-management skills and experience dealing with multiple competitions could be what United need, and Scholes described a manager who fits these criteria as the 'perfect' candidate to take charge of the Red Devils back in March.

Speaking on the Good, The Bad & The Football Podcast earlier this year, the legendary midfielder advocated for United hiring Carlo Ancelotti.

"The perfect one out there – I say perfect – Ancelotti is still out there," Scholes said.

Ancelotti has been out of club football since leaving Real Madrid at the end of the 2024/25 season. He's since assumed the responsibility of leading the Brazilian national team at a World Cup, and is still in this role as the figurehead of the Selecao.

Scholes Also Listed Five Other Candidates

Ancelotti wasn't the only name Scholes presented as a potential Carrick successor. The pundit listed five other managers he thinks United could tempt to Old Trafford, two of whom are now in new roles.

He cited Andoni Iraola as an option, although the Spaniard is now in charge of Liverpool, so he is almost certainly off the table.

The former England international also named Zinedine Zidane, who succeeded Didier Deschamps as France's head coach in the summer.

"This is one of the very biggest clubs in the world, so they should have the very best in class," he said.

"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."

Scholes also tipped United to swoop in and snatch Thomas Tuchel from England, naming the German as his 'number one' choice.

"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."

Meanwhile, speaking on The Overlap last October, Scholes mentioned Eddie Howe's name when discussing future United bosses: "Eddie Howe, Eddie Howe. I'm not sure about his mate [assistant manager Jason Tindall], but definitely him."

Howe has now left Newcastle, so he certainly could be in contention if United chose to pursue him.

Finally, Aston Villa's Unai Emery was mooted as a candidate by Scholes, although the Spaniard's hero status in the West Midlands could make it difficult for the Red Devils to tempt him to swap Birmingham for Manchester.