Paul Scholes' Historic Criticism of Michael Carrick Resurfaces After Manchester United Defeat
Historic comments from Paul Scholes about his former team-mate Michael Carrick have dramatically re-emerged after the Manchester United legend launched a fresh social media attack on the current Red Devils boss. Scholes turned on his old friend on Wednesday night, bluntly describing United as 'c**p' under Carrick's leadership following their first defeat in eight games against Newcastle United.
Social Media Outburst and Deleted Posts
In a now-deleted Instagram story posted overnight, Scholes wrote: 'Michael has definitely got something special about him... cos United have been c**p last four games... night'. The former midfielder added a kissing face emoji before writing 'Tonali' and following the Newcastle star's name with a love heart symbol. This public criticism marks a significant deterioration in their previously celebrated partnership.
A Partnership Turned Sour
The midfield duo played together 160 times for both Manchester United and the England national team, winning five Premier League titles, the Champions League, and a FIFA Club World Cup trophy during their illustrious careers. However, Scholes first publicly criticised Carrick's loyalty back in 2021 when the current United boss served as interim manager following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's dismissal.
Carrick had been a first team coach under Solskjaer between 2019 and 2021 before taking temporary charge after the Norwegian's sacking. Scholes argued at the time that this move represented disloyalty, stating: 'I feel with Ole he put a lot of trust into Michael, Kieran (McKenna) and Mike Phelan which is why they shouldn't be at the club now. They're all good friends and they're good people but if I was them I'd feel guilty still working at the club after Ole put so much trust in them.'
Carrick's Response and Current Situation
When questioned about these comments previously, Carrick responded emotionally: 'It's been an emotional few days, the first person I spoke to after Ed (Woodward) offered me the role was Ole. I thought that was the right thing to do.' Despite this history, Carrick's current interim tenure had begun impressively until the Newcastle setback.
The 44-year-old had enjoyed the joint-best record of any manager in Premier League history over their first seven games, winning six matches and drawing one. United are set to appoint a permanent manager this summer after Carrick took over from Ruben Amorim as interim earlier this year, with the former midfielder initially putting his name firmly in contention.
Scholes Questions Carrick's Credentials
Scholes has remained notably coy about whether United should appoint Carrick permanently, instead suggesting Carlo Ancelotti as the 'perfect' alternative option. On The Good, The Bad & The Football Podcast, Scholes questioned whether Carrick possesses sufficient experience for the role, stating: 'The question is, has Michael got the experience? I know it's a big question, I know he has managed in the Championship, but this is different. Can we see Michael winning the Premier League? I don't know yet.'
Scholes further elaborated on the managerial dilemma facing United: 'The club have to decide, do they want a master tactician, which has failed... Ole Gunnar had the man management skills, but did he have the experience to go on and win a trophy? The same questions will be asked of Michael.' This represents a stark contrast to Carrick's own 2018 assessment of their partnership, when he told The Mirror: 'I always say Scholesy because he was right next to me and, as a partnership, he was fantastic to play with.'
The resurgence of these historic criticisms, combined with fresh public attacks, suggests significant strain in what was once one of football's most celebrated midfield partnerships, casting uncertainty over Carrick's future prospects at Old Trafford.
