Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have given their verdict on Paul Scholes' Instagram story dig at Manchester United interim head coach Michael Carrick after the Reds lost at Newcastle
Paul Scholes hit out at Michael Carrick on Wednesday
Paul Scholes hit out at Michael Carrick on Wednesday
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Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have both described the Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick dispute as 'weird' following the former made a dig at the Manchester United interim head coach on Wednesday.
Scholes vented his frustration after the Reds suffered a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United and took aim at the team's recent performances, directing a jibe at his former teammate Carrick in the process.
In a now-deleted Instagram story, Scholes wrote: "Michael has definitely got something special about him... cos United have been c**p last four games... night [blowing kiss emoji]. Tonali [red love heart emoji]."
Scholes' post sparked considerable discussion on social media, with some backing the 51-year-old former United midfielder, whilst others condemned him for placing the blame on Carrick.
Now, Lineker and Shearer have offered their thoughts on Scholes' remarks - and it's fair to say both are in agreement and find the situation rather "odd".
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, co-host Lineker remarked: "You see, there's a little bit of beef between Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick? He's digging him out, isn't he? He's not exactly being very supportive of his old team-mate, is he?".
Former Newcastle United striker Shearer responded: "It's a strange, it's weird isn't it?".
Lineker then suggested there could be some "bit of history" behind the animosity between them. "It's an odd one," Lineker continued.
"It's weird, isn't it? Maybe there's a bit of history there. Who knows?".
Micah Richards then offered his perspective, providing a more measured viewpoint. The ex-Manchester City and England right-back stated: "I need a fact checker on that though, I don't believe it's true. Everyone is saying it's true, it has got on all the headlines from social media.
"But if he did say that, Scholesy (Paul Scholes) when you see him, he is one of the nicest guys ever and I don't think he has got any aspirations to be a coach. As an ex-teammate, I thought they had love for each-other but it was strange to say the least."
Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes hit out at Michael Carrick following Manchester United's defeat at Newcastle United(Image: Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
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Scholes' Instagram post on Wednesday wasn't the first time the United legend has expressed scepticism about Carrick, who has secured six wins and one draw in his first eight matches since returning to Old Trafford in mid-January.
In fact, Scholes labelled Carrick, Mike Phelan and Kieran McKenna as 'disloyal' after they remained at the club following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's dismissal in November 2021. Despite acknowledging them as "good friends", Scholes didn't mince words in expressing his disapproval of their decision.
"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," Scholes commented at the time. 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.
"When Carrick initially took up the caretaker role following Solskjaer's departure four and a half years ago," he addressed Scholes' remarks. "It's been an emotional few days," Carrick stated at the time. "The first person I spoke to after Ed (Woodward) offered me the role was Ole. I thought that was the right thing to do."
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Following a two-and-a-half-year spell at Championship outfit Middlesbrough, United opted to bring Carrick back last month after deciding to sack Ruben Amorim.
Since his return, Carrick has made a notable impact. He has secured 19 points from a possible 24 in the Premier League and has propelled the Reds up to third position in the standings, alongside fourth-placed Aston Villa.
Carrick and United's next fixture is against Villa on Sunday, March 15.