Michael Carrick’s chants from the terraces of Manchester United fans may not resonate in the same way after the 10-a-side defeat to Newcastle. But not for the reason you’re thinking.
“It’s Carrick. I can’t believe it’s not Scholes.”
You may have seen United legend Paul Scholes take to social media to take a surprise jab at his former team-mate shortly after his first defeat since taking over. “Michael definitely has something special about him… because United have lost their last four games.”
It was a strange intervention from Scholes, to say the least. He’s the guy who partnered me in midfield for seven seasons. They were teammates and played together in over 150 games. Additionally, Carrick had won six of their last seven games.
Paul Scholes questions Michael Carrick’s qualifications as Man United manager
Rather than dissecting why the United legend turned podcaster made the two-foot tackle on Carrick that made him famous during his playing days, it’s worth digging into the points he makes, as they’re not without merit.
The defeat at Newcastle felt like it came after performances against West Ham, Everton and Crystal Palace. But Carrick’s run looked set to continue when Jacob Ramsey was sent off for a second yellow for an apparent dive.
This is only the third time in Carrick’s eight games that an opponent has been given a red, but it’s not an insignificant one. There has been an element of luck since he took over.
Carrick’s men had scored in previous games against Tottenham and Palace, but the subsequent game at St James’ Park resembled Ruben Amorim’s defeat against Everton 10-a-side at Old Trafford in November.
Manchester United missed out on a chance to break into the top five that night. This time they only finished third, a clear sign of the progress they have made under Carrick, but they could have been three points clear of their rivals for Champions League qualification.
It was a disappointing night for Manchester United at St James’ Park.
The problem for Carrick is that this was another scenario when his team was expected to have the upper hand. They had the man advantage throughout the entire second half, but you wouldn’t have known it. Newcastle had more expected goals, more shots on target and, crucially, more goals.
This was also a Newcastle team that was physically challenged and thought to be in poor form without captain Bruno Guimarães. They have played 45 games this season to Manchester United’s 30, but have had no midweek break since the November international break.
This was Manchester United’s third match in midweek 2026, but they have failed to win any of them. Two of those trips, including the Newcastle trip, were followed by at least a week’s vacation. But it was the team in red that faded on Tyneside.
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Watch substitute William Osula’s stunning 90th-minute winner as Newcastle beat Manchester United
Carrick inherits a restriction of only having 13 first-team players without significantly weakening the team. Tyrrell Malasia and Manuel Ugarte came on from the bench against Newcastle. Its impact was as advertised. True, they cannot stay for another season.
Looking at Newcastle, the hierarchy at Manchester United must be concerned about what will happen next, regardless of who is in charge. Barring a late-season collapse, this team will be playing in Europe, but on a schedule they are ill-equipped to handle.
This reality only further complicates the task of ending United’s overreliance on counter-attacking teams.
United are by no means the only team to get stuck when given attacking responsibilities, and Carrick has had limited time on the training pitch to work on patterns of play to address this shortcoming. It tends to take time.
But Carrick has not been given time to convince United bosses that he is worth the gamble. The question that Jason Wilcox, Omar Berrada and Sir Jim Ratcliffe will have to answer is whether Carrick can take that step or is what we are now seeing reaching his limits?
Carrick’s changes against West Ham and Everton compensated for United’s below-average performances, with Benjamin Sesco scoring crucial goals off the bench. But both goals emerged from moments of individual brilliance rather than a broader tactical plan.
Smart adjustments to Palace also brought about improvements. He told his team to play wide, which stretched the defense and led to penalties. However, the impact of Maxence Lacroix’s controversial red card cannot be underestimated.
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Highlights of the Premier League match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace.
In eight games, Carrick produced two outstanding performances and results against England’s best teams, Arsenal and Manchester City. Apart from wins against Fulham and Spurs 10-a-side, it has been a struggle since then. Newcastle were really miserable.
Carrick follows an eerily similar path to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s former assistant at United. History may remember Solskjær’s second and third place finishes more fondly now, but this association does not help Carrick.
Fear of repeating past mistakes only adds to the uncertainty around Carrick. INEOS cannot afford to make any more bad appointments. In particular, you can’t make an appointment that sounds straight out of Ed Woodward’s handbook on how to run a football club.
It will be important to see how the team responds to this setback after the nine-day break. The same could happen against Aston Villa, who are tied in fourth place on points, and could cause trouble. This is a group of players known for crumbling under pressure.
On the contrary, a strong performance and return to winning ways was the perfect antidote to doubts, and Carrick’s side will then be in a strong position to qualify for the Champions League with seven games remaining and midweek all free.
It’s unlikely Carrick will ever be able to convince anyone that he is, or always has been, a “special” coach. It certainly doesn’t seem to be Scholes. But this is his last chance to address the lingering doubts around him about staying at Old Trafford. Needs improvement.
Manchester United’s remaining Premier League matches
Sunday 15th March: Aston Villa (H) – Live on Sky Sports Friday 20th March: Bournemouth (A) – Live on Sky Sports Monday 13th April: Leeds United (H) – Live on Sky Sports Saturday 18th April: Chelsea (A) Monday 27th April: Brentford (H) – Live on Sky Sports Saturday 2nd May: Liverpool (H) *Saturday 9th May: Sunderland (A) *Sunday 17th May: Nottingham Forest (H) *Sunday 24th May: Brighton (A)
*Equipments are subject to change.
