Manchester United legend Paul Scholes says one manager is 'miles ahead' of the others after weighing up whether Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann, Unai Emery or Antonio Conte should replace Michael Carrick at Old Trafford.

There was an expectation that Carrick would be relieved of his duties on Monday following Sunday's 3-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth, which followed on from the 4-1 defeat to Como in the Champions League just a few days earlier.

It has been a disastrous start to the season for Man United on their return to Europe's elite club competition, with their only two wins of the campaign coming against newly-promoted Ipswich Town and Sabah at Old Trafford.

Sunday's defeat means it is now eight matches without a win for Carrick's men, who lie 16th in the Premier League standings having finished third last term.

Carrick's future could be decided by United chiefs one way or the other on Tuesday, but talk is already accelerating on who could replace him in the dugout, potentially even for the weekend trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea.

GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed previously that Howe and Nagelsmann are two of the frontrunners for the job if Carrick is sacked, with both having their admirers among the Red Devils' hierarchy.

They are not the only contenders though, with Emery and Conte also appreciated by the United board, who must decide their next move if they are to part ways with the man they appointed on a permanent basis in the summer.

• October 2022 — Carrick began management at Middlesbrough, replacing sacked Championship boss Chris Wilder.
• June 2025 — Middlesbrough sacked Carrick after a second successive season missing the play-offs.
• January 2026 — United dismissed Ruben Amorim and installed Carrick as head coach until May.
• May 2026 — Carrick signed a two-year permanent deal after securing Champions League qualification.
• October 2026 — A 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth extended United's winless run to eight.

There are a lot of differing views on who would be the best choice, and Scholes has given his view after being asked the question by Paddy McGuinness on the latest episode of the Good, the Bad & the Football podcast.

The United legend said: "Well, you'd have to pick a manager that you think could get us back to the good old days, or to being a competitive Premier League team.

"Antonio Conte is that man, but he comes with la massive warning, doesn't he? He's made noises that he wants to come. He's been talking to press, and I'm pretty sure the club would have spoken to him. I'm pretty sure the club would have spoken to all of them.

"I can't understand why he'd want this job because I don't think the team's good enough for him.

When I'm talking best in class, and you talk those four, I think Antonio Conte's miles ahead of all of them.

"You think Juventus. He went to Napoli and goes and wins a league with them. Look, he's volatile. I know he's volatile and he might be a bit of a madman. But when you're talking about successful managers at top clubs, he's streets ahead."

Conte Might Not be Best Fit for United Board

The problem is that the strengths that Scholes believes that Conte has could be the reason he doesn't get the job.

The likes of Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox clearly have a lot of say on the day-to-day running of the football side of things, and you do have to wonder if that's something that Conte would be willing to fit into.

He is volatile and he isn't afraid to speak out against the club he was working for if he feels like it is deserved, as he did at Tottenham.

The problem is that the Red Devils already have key players doing that, and they could do without their manager doing it too, especially when things clearly aren't perfect off the pitch as well as on it.

The likes of Howe and Nagelsmann would be safer options for the board, but Conte is a serial winner who lifts trophies, and that is what United are looking for.

It's up to the likes of Wilcox and Berrada whether they are willing to take that risk after another disappointing permanent managerial appointment.