Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt voted on potential managers they would accept at Manchester United, managing to agree on only three candidates. Red Devils boss Michael Carrick faces intense pressure, though club chiefs kept him in charge for the upcoming trip to Chelsea on Saturday 31 October.
Amid speculation regarding Carrick, Scholes and Butt evaluated 11 possible replacements on their podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Football. Both rejected options such as Cesc Fabregas, Julian Nagelsmann, and Eddie Howe, but agreed they would each take Unai Emery, Roy Keane, and Kieran McKenna.
Regarding Emery, Scholes stated simply, "I don't see why not." The Aston Villa manager has admirers at United, but his contract running until 2029 makes him an expensive choice. When asked about Keane, Butt remarked, "It would be fun," while Scholes smiled and repeated, "I don't see why not." It was previously revealed that the Irishman was lined up to return as number two if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had beaten Carrick to the interim job in January.
Scholes offered the same response regarding former Manchester United first team coach McKenna, with Butt adding, "He knows the club, yeah." Both men dismissed Howe, and scoffed at Daniel Farke given his rivalry with Leeds. Scholes, aged 51, considered Fabregas briefly before answering, "Not yet, no," and both swiftly ruled out Germany boss Nagelsmann.
Scholes stated he would also accept Antonio Conte or Fabian Hurzeler, though his colleague disagreed. Butt accepted Gareth Southgate and Mauricio Pochettino, while Scholes did not. Club chiefs had planned to dismiss Carrick this week, but granted him a temporary reprieve after failing to secure a successor. An eight-game winless run has dropped Manchester United to 16th in the Premier League, alongside Champions League losses against Atletico Madrid and Como. Captain Bruno Fernandes is expected to return against Chelsea after being dropped against Bournemouth following clear-the-air talks with Carrick.
