Former England striker Gary Lineker has shared a possible reason behind Paul Scholes’ bizarre dig at former Manchester United teammate Michael Carrick.
From the moment Carrick stepped in as Ruben Amorim’s interim successor last November, there has been a sense that certain former players have been rooting against him, this despite his excellent start in the dugout.
Carrick’s impressive run has unsurprisingly sparked questions regarding whether he should be considered for the permanent position. However, the likes of Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Scholes have consistently maintained that United should overlook him and expand their search for the next gaffer.
While the criticism can sometimes be framed as a reasonable footballing argument, it has on occasion taken a deeply personal turn. This was evident when Keane dragged Carrick’s wife into his assessment of the man. He has also flatly declared that under no circumstances should United appoint Carrick, regardless of how well he performs.
Scholes took it further recently after Carrick was handed his first defeat by Newcastle.
Immediately after the final whistle, Scholes took to social media with a sarcastic jab aimed at Carrick, seemingly revelling in United’s defeat. He later deleted the ill-advised post but not before supporters had made clear just how bitterly it had left them.
Patrice Evra slammed Scholes, Keane and Neville for their overly negative analysis of Carrick. The Frenchman suggested that they are intentionally doing so to make waves in the media.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast (via Yahoo Sport), Lineker theorised that there may be some underlying needle between Scholes and Carrick.
Also Read: Scholes: Ancelotti, Not Carrick Should Be Man United Manager Next Season
Lineker said about the situation, “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 teammate, is he?”
The 65-year-old added, “It’s an odd one.”
“It’s weird, isn’t it? Maybe there’s a bit of history there. Who knows?”
Scholes and Carrick played 160 games together for United between 2006 and 2013. Together, they won eight major trophies, including five Premier League titles and one Champions League title.
