Michael Carrick dismissed criticism from former Manchester United teammate Paul Scholes on Friday as he prepares his side for a thrilling Premier League match against Aston Villa.
The third-placed Red Devils are back in action on Sunday after losing 2-1 at Newcastle earlier this month.
Unai Emery’s Villa trail United only on goal difference in a tight race to secure Champions League football next season.
The top five teams in the Premier League will almost certainly qualify for Europe’s top club competition.
The Newcastle defeat was Carrick’s first since taking over for the remainder of the season in January, and Scholes made a sarcastic joke on Instagram about the man he played with in midfield at Old Trafford.
«Michael definitely has something special about him… because United have been rubbish in the last four games,» read the post from Scholes, who later said he had meant no offense and had contacted his former teammate.
But Carrick told reporters in his pre-match press conference on Friday that he was not dwelling on the issue.
“There’s really nothing to say about it,” he said. “I think that’s exactly where we are right now when it comes to social media and things like that, captions and quotes.
“It can be taken in different ways, so just be calm about it and understand the real meaning of things.
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«Listen, there are different opinions, and that’s okay. People can have different opinions.»
«It’s just things being taken from one extreme to another, and that’s what it is, but I don’t worry about it. I don’t make a big deal out of it either.»
United finished an embarrassing 15th place in the Premier League last season under Ruben Amorim fdsf.
Carrick’s men were on a roll until their latest defeat to Newcastle at St James’ Park, but the former United midfielder said it was inevitable they would suffer defeat at some point.
“It’s a tough competition,” he said. “Most teams, if not every team, have suffered from that lately.”
“It’s really putting things into perspective and shaping them so that we know where we can improve, what we can do better.”
Carrick said he was “excited” by the challenge of hosting Villa at Old Trafford.
“We’ve now put ourselves in a position where there’s a lot to play for,” he said. “So we’re really embracing the situation at the moment and looking forward to the next game.”
Carrick said midfielder Mason Mount had taken a “big step” and could return from a two-month absence this weekend.
Published on March 13, 2026
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