Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has addressed comments he made following the team’s loss against Newcastle last week which many saw as a shot at Michael Carrick
20:55, 09 Mar 2026Updated 21:04, 09 Mar 2026
Paul Scholes has said he didn’t mean to offend Michael Carrick with comments he made last week(Image: YouTube/The Good, the Bad and the Football Podcast)
Paul Scholes insists comments he made on an Instagram story post last week were not intended as a dig at Michael Carrick, who he claims was not offended after speaking with the Manchester United head coach.
The former midfielder, 51, caused a stir on social media after Carrick’s side were beaten by Newcastle last Wednesday. In an Instagram story, a written message from Scholes read: “Michael has definitely got something about him…cos United have been crap last 4 games…night’.”
Plenty of people saw Scholes’ comments as a shot at Carrick, who has overseen a significant improvement in results since succeeding Ruben Amorim, with the Newcastle defeat just his first in the role. Among them was Patrice Evra, with the former United left-back saying he hoped that Scholes had been ‘hacked’.
But Scholes, speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, cleared things up on Monday amid the backlash following his comments.
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He said: “It was in no way intended to be offensive towards Michael. Michael’s one of the nicest people in football, he would be the last person I want to offend.
“I messaged Michael anyway. I went straight to him and said ‘Look I had no intention of upsetting you’. I don’t think I needed to say that anyway, and he told me himself he wasn’t upset by it.”
“I think people have just taken it differently from what was meant,” Scholes added.
“The only thing I was saying was that I don’t think they played that well the last four games and he’s still managing to get results.
Carrick has done a fine job since succeeding Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford in January(Image: Visionhaus, Visionhaus/Getty Images)
“We had the greatest manager in the world and he always said sometimes you need a bit of luck. So with sending-offs and different things that happen through games, sometimes you do need a bit of luck, that’s all I was saying.”
Defeat to the 10-man Magpies is the only blot on Carrick’s record since stepping into the United role in mid-January. And he seemed just as annoyed as Scholes after United were beaten 2-1 at St James’ Park.
“We’re not happy with the way we played the game. The way it panned out, it was in our hands largely, but credit to Newcastle,” he said post-match.
“We navigated to be in a position where we felt we should kick on. We didn’t, really, so bitterly disappointed. I don’t think it was the 10 men, we just didn’t play good enough and we can’t make excuses.”
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