Paul Scholes on Manchester United's Revival Under Michael Carrick

Paul Scholes has welcomed Manchester United’s revival under Michael Carrick – but insists Arsenal remain a step ahead in the Premier League title race.

United’s season was drifting towards disaster last year. Champions League hopes were fading, European football of any kind was in doubt, and Old Trafford felt flat. Then Carrick walked in for Ruben Amorim in January and changed the mood almost overnight.

From there, United surged. They clawed their way up the table and finished third, only seven points behind Manchester City. The second‑half charge has fuelled talk that Carrick, in his first full campaign, could go toe-to-toe with Arsenal for the title.

Scholes is not quite buying that. Not yet.

Scholes impressed – but cautious

Speaking on The Overlap, the former midfielder rooted United’s turnaround firmly in Carrick’s personality.

“I think it comes from Michael Carrick’s character. He’s just a calm and relaxed character, he won’t ever get too high or too low,” Scholes said, pointing to the composure that has steadied the club.

But when the conversation turned to expectations and recruitment, his tone sharpened.

“Where you have to judge United’s transfer business is what do you expect from them? Are you expecting them to challenge for the Premier League? I still think that’s a little bit away with the business that’s been done.”

That’s the crux of it. Progress, yes. Title-ready, no.

Building in sections – and gaps that remain

Scholes sees logic in United’s rebuild. He believes the club are trying to fix the squad line by line rather than in one wild summer.

“I think on the recruitment point of view, they seem to be doing it in different sections. This time last year they seemed to sort out the forward line which is now much better and much more dangerous,” he said.

Even there, he still wants more.

“They could probably still do with another centre forward to help [Benjamin] Sesko out a bit. He’s still young and he did get better last season, there’s no doubt about that.”

This summer, the focus has shifted behind the forwards.

“It feels like the priority this summer has been the middle of the pitch and that area was a problem last season,” Scholes admitted.

But for him, that problem has not gone away.

“I still think it’s a problem, not just from centre midfield but centre half as well because every team that had joy against us, it felt like they were coming straight down the middle because of the lack of pace and mobility in there.”

Andrey Santos is one of the new faces, but Scholes is holding back on judgement.

“I’ve hardly seen [Andrey] Santos play so you need to give the lad a chance but I still think there might need something else in there.”

Youri Tielemans, another technically gifted option, also comes with a caveat.

“[Youri] Tielemans is a brilliant footballer and can control the game but again athleticism isn’t his strength. I still think there’s a problem down the middle, I still think they need centre-halves.”

Centre-back concerns at title level

This is where Scholes draws his line in the sand. If United want to be measured against champions, he believes the current central defenders fall short.

“I don’t think the current ones are of the quality to try and win the Premier League and that‘s where I judge Man United,” he said.

“In that position you need players who are reliable every single week but United’s are always picking up injuries.”

He then went through the list.

“We’ve got [Harry] Maguire who’s starting to pick up niggles, Lisandro Martinez just can’t stay fit, Leny Yoro has struggled a bit over the last two years and it looks like the level is a little bit above him, although he’s still young and he might come on with Ayden Heaven.”

That spine, in Scholes’ view, still looks fragile.

“So I still think a big area of the pitch is that spine to make the side more solid and give them more legs and have more reliability at centre half.”

Arsenal set the standard

All of this is framed against what Arsenal are doing. Mikel Arteta’s side ended a 22-year wait for the title last season, lifting the Premier League trophy for the first time since 2004 and going all the way to the Champions League final, where they lost to PSG on penalties.

They have not eased off. Arsenal are putting together another sharp transfer window and underlined their strength with a 3-0 dismantling of Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday.

That is the level Scholes uses as his measuring stick. For now, he sees United as chasing, not matching.

New challenge for Carrick

There is another twist to Carrick’s task. Last season, United had the luxury of lighter weeks. No midweek grind, no constant travel, more time on the training pitch. Scholes thinks that helped.

“The thing Michael Carrick is going to have to deal with now as well is midweek football. He had an unbelievable run last year but everything was in his favour if you know what I mean,” he said.

“Now all of a sudden he’s got these extra games which will have an impact on the squad.”

The schedule tightens, the margins shrink, and the depth of that squad – especially in the spine – will be exposed.

Title dream – but on delay

Scholes is not writing off Carrick’s ceiling. Far from it.

“I think Michael Carrick can win the Premier League with Manchester United but it won’t be this season. But if he can build the right team he can do that.”

The journey starts again this weekend. United open their 2026-27 Premier League campaign against newly-promoted Hull City, a fixture they are expected to control but one that will still offer an early glimpse of Carrick’s evolving side.

Arsenal, the team to catch in Scholes’ eyes, begin their title defence on Friday night against Coventry City, another recent Championship side.

The gap, for now, is still there. The question is simple: can Carrick close it quickly enough to turn promise into a genuine tilt at Arsenal’s crown?