Champions League dream under threat
Match fallout
Paul Scholes, former Manchester United star, turned on his friend Michael Carrick last night, calling the Red Devils a 'bad team' under his leadership after defeat in eight.
United fell 2-1 to Newcastle, thanks to William Osula's stunning 90th-minute strike at St James' Park, Carrick watching football as he grew up in game he loves.
This result left them third in the Premier League, but the gap to sixth-placed Liverpool stands at just three points, going into weekend.
In an Instagram post since deleted, Scholes wrote at night: 'Michael has certainly something special... because United were very poor in the last four matches... good night' tonight.
Scholes added a kissy emoji before typing 'Tonali' and tagging the Newcastle star with a heart.
Yet Scholes' sharp criticisms came as a shock, after Carrick earned wide praise for reviving the club and restoring its identity.
Manchester United endured near-weekly criticism during the tenure of predecessor Ruben Amorim, who lasted only 14 months and won just 38 percent of his matches across all competitions, his Premier League record even worse. That stat still guts fans.
He has won six of eight matches as coach, rekindled belief, reintroduced key teammates, and revived a sense of purpose, steering them toward European qualification while the fans dream of a horizon.
But Scholes recently insisted that his former teammate should not be handed the permanent manager's job. He argues slow, steady, earned trust beats quick fixes, especially at Old Trafford these.
He said on the podcast 'The Good, The Bad and Football': 'The ideal coach—I mean ideal—Ancelotti remains, I know he's the Brazil boss. He is the Manchester United coach, making players feel like millionaires'.
Carrick has prior head coach experience, leading Middlesbrough in the English Championship from 2022-2025 before taking charge at Old Trafford, where he aims rebuild confidence.
But Scholes, who played alongside Carrick 160 times for United and England, doubts his former teammate's experience especially in high-pressure, trophy-chasing seasons.
Punchline 1: If United's tactics were a Netflix trailer, you'd fast-forward to the goal.
Punchline 2: Carrick's playbook? It's less of a plan and more of a napkin scribble—bold dreams, questionable handwriting.
