Manchester United legend Paul Scholes (50) was said to have been greatly embarrassed after receiving fierce criticism for a social media 'targeted' remark toward manager Michael Carrick (45).
The British Daily Mail on the 12th (Korea time), citing Nikki Butt's remarks, reported that "Paul Scholes was shocked and deeply dismayed" after controversy grew over a social media post aimed at Carrick.
The controversy began last week immediately after Manchester United lost to Newcastle United. After suffering the first defeat in eight matches under Carrick, Scholes left a cryptic message on his Instagram story.
He wrote, "There is clearly something special about Carrick, because United's performances have been terrible over the past four games." He then mentioned Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali and added a heart emoji.
The post immediately sparked major controversy. Some fans interpreted Scholes as mocking Carrick's leadership and criticism poured in. Scholes later deleted the post and explained that "the context was miscommunicated."
Nikki Butt, who co-hosts a podcast with Scholes, explained the intent behind his remarks.
Butt said, "To someone who doesn't know Scholes well, it can sound very harsh. But his intention was that 'a manager who gets results even when the team doesn't play well must also have luck.'"
He added, "Luck is a very important factor for managers. Not only good players but also luck is needed. Scholes wanted to talk about that point."
Butt also said Scholes was deeply upset after the controversy. He said, "I spoke to Scholes directly and he said, 'I didn't expect this reaction.' He was shocked and heartbroken."
Scholes also explained his position directly on his podcast The Good, The Bad & The Football. He said he sent Carrick a message to apologize.
Scholes emphasized, "That remark was never intended to attack Carrick. He is one of the best people in football and the last person I would want to hurt."
He added, "I sent Carrick a message saying 'I did not intend to make you angry.' But in fact there was no need. He said he was not bothered at all."
Scholes did, however, maintain his assessment of the recent performances. He said, "I still think the performances over the past four games haven't been great. But they are getting results," and explained, "As Sir Alex Ferguson always said, sometimes a bit of luck is needed in red cards or match situations. That's what I meant."
Recent debate over Carrick's leadership has continued among United legends. Gary Neville and Roy Keane questioned Carrick's ability, while Patrice Evra and Rio Ferdinand publicly defended him.
Evra said, "I hoped Scholes' post had been hacked," and added, "Carrick is one of us and is doing well now. Such negative remarks are unnecessary."
He added, "Many people criticize easily on TV, but being a manager is a completely different matter," and said, "You may be a legend as a player but not necessarily as a manager. Such remarks can hurt a manager's career."
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