Paul Scholes, former Manchester United midfielder, explains the controversy over his teasing post about Michael Carrick, insisting his friend isn't angry but others are upset.
On 10 Mar 2026 GMT+7, Paul Scholes, former Manchester United midfielder, confirmed he did not intend to mock Michael Carrick, his former teammate and current manager of the Red Devils, and revealed they have since cleared up the misunderstanding.
The matter began after Manchester United lost 2-1 to Newcastle United, despite the Magpies playing with only 10 men before halftime, ending Michael Carrick’s unbeaten record as caretaker coach.
Shortly after the match, 51-year-old Scholes posted an Instagram story saying, “Michael definitely has something special because Manchester United have played terribly in the last 4 games... Good night! (Sandro) Tonali.” The post quickly circulated before Scholes deleted it.
Scholes clarified on the podcast The Good, The Bad & The Football: “Michael is one of the best people you’ll meet in football. He’s the last person I’d want to upset.”
“I messaged Michael immediately and honestly told him I didn’t intend to hurt him, and he told me he wasn’t upset about it.”
Scholes further explained that his real point was to highlight Carrick’s ability to achieve results even when the team’s form is poor, which is impressive rather than critical. He added, “We had the greatest manager in the world who often said sometimes you need a bit of luck.”
Carrick refused to make excuses, stating after the game, “We’re not happy with how we played. We should have pressed more but didn’t. I don’t think the problem was having 10 men. We just didn’t play well and have no excuses.”
The atmosphere intensified when Patrice Evra, Manchester United’s legendary left-back, criticized Roy Keane, Gary Neville, and Paul Scholes, his former teammates, accusing them of trying to undermine Michael Carrick’s career.
“I’m not surprised by Scholes. He was the quietest player I ever played with, but now he keeps dropping bombs in the media. I don’t understand why they don’t support Carrick. He’s one of us and doing very well. The negative analysis from Scholes, Keane, and Neville really annoys me.”
Carrick was appointed caretaker manager of Manchester United until the end of the season, impressively achieving 6 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, rising to 3rd place in the Premier League and sparking calls for the board to offer him a permanent contract.