Evra gives Scholes both barrels as Carrick’s first slip sparks a pundit dust-up

Well, that escalated quickly. Manchester United’s first setback under caretaker boss Michael Carrick has lit the fuse among Old Trafford royalty, with Patrice Evra taking a flamethrower to Paul Scholes’ social media swipe — and tossing a few barbs at Gary Neville and Roy Keane for good measure.

The post that poked the bear

United went down at St James’ Park despite playing the entire second half against ten men, and Scholes couldn’t resist a late-night prod on Instagram. In a story he later deleted, the ex-midfielder half-praised Carrick’s aura while rubbishing United’s recent performances. Evra was having none of it, saying he hoped the post was fake — even suggesting Scholes must have been hacked — before noting that the famously quiet team-mate he knew now lobs grenades from the studio. Classic Evra: forthright, fiery, and fiercely protective of one of his own.

Carrick’s bounce is real — one wobble doesn’t change it

Let’s keep our feet on the ground. Carrick’s interim run has still been impressive: eight matches, six wins, including statement victories over the top two in Manchester City and Arsenal, with only a draw against West Ham and this defeat to Newcastle as blemishes. He’s nudged United up the table and shoved them firmly into the Champions League conversation — a spot that would be critical for summer recruitment and the club’s balance sheet. One off-night on Tyneside doesn’t rewrite the story.

Evra’s broadside at Neville and Keane

Evra didn’t stop at Scholes. He went after Neville and Keane too, bristling at what he sees as TV-forced negativity around Carrick’s record. His point? If you’ve had your own bruising spells in the dugout, maybe ease up on the lad who’s actually delivering. He even revived that cheeky Valencia quip at Neville’s expense — the one about the locals wanting paella and getting fish and chips instead — to hammer it home. It’s spiky, but it’s Evra to a tee.

Big picture: the top‑four scrap

United’s task is simple: bottle the best bits of this revival and cut out the lapses. The standards have to hold, especially with rivals chugging along and points getting precious. The noise around punditry won’t go away, but Carrick’s lot can make it irrelevant by doing the business week after week.

If you’re weighing up United’s run-in and where the momentum sits, every marginal gain matters. For further reading, odds moves and more, check our guide to the betting sites uk trusted by fans who follow the form as closely as the football.

Pundit’s verdict

Evra’s fired the warning shot: back Carrick or at least be fair. And on the evidence so far, he’s got a point. The caretaker has steadied the ship and set a tone. Now it’s on United to prove that a bump on the Tyne is just that — a bump — and not the start of a slide.