Picture: Bitter Paul Scholes aims sarcastic jab at “special” Carrick immediately after loss to Newcastle

Paul Scholes appeared to mock his former teammate Michael Carrick, just minutes after he was handed his first defeat as Manchester United caretaker boss by Newcastle. Unbeaten streak ends United suffered a 2-1 loss to Newcastle at St James’ Park on Wednesday evening, ending Carrick’s eight-game unbeaten run since he was named Ruben Amorim’s temporary replacement in December last year. The Red Devils headed into the meeting with confidence, but they were rocked in first-half stoppage time when the hosts were awarded a penalty after Bruno Fernandes was judged to have fouled Anthony Gordon inside the danger area. Gordon stepped up to take the spot kick and made no mistake despite Senne Lammens diving the right way. But United didn’t trail for too long. Fernandes made amends, supplying the assist for Casemiro, moments before the two teams went down the tunnel for half-time. Jacob Ramsey’s second booking handed United a golden opportunity on a plate, but Carrick’s men inexplicably failed to take it. What followed was a tepid display, completely devoid of the pace and intensity required to break down the opposition. United were made to pay when William Osula scored a 90th-minute winner to secure the three points for the Magpies. United remain in third place in the table, but they certainly missed a chance to put some distance between them and their top-four rivals. Scholes’ jab Almost immediately after the final whistle, Scholes made it very clear how he felt about the loss in Tyneside. He took to Instagram story and wrote, “Michael has definitely got something special about him… Cos Utd have been CRAP last 4 games… Night! Tonali (with a heart emoji).” His Tonali reference goes back to when Scholes claimed that the Italian is a much better midfielder than Arsenal’s Declan Rice. Given Scholes’s long-held and vocal stance that Carrick should not be appointed as United’s permanent manager, it was perhaps predictable that he seemed to take some satisfaction in witnessing his first defeat. The pair played 160 games together for United between 2006 and 2013. Scholes and Carrick won eight major trophies together including five Premier League titles and one Champions League title. Featured image George Wood via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Derick Kinoti Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the Premier League extensively for years. His work blends sharp analysis, tactical insight, and engaging storytelling that resonates with fans around the world. Derick has gained valuable experience in football journalism, developing strong expertise in SEO writing, digital content creation, and social media engagement. A tech enthusiast with a Computer Science degree from the University of Nairobi, he ultimately swapped code for football commentary, bringing an analytical, detail-oriented approach to his writing. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!