Scholes' Latest Carrick Dig Shows Class of '92 Never Miss a Chance to Knife United

For those who'd wagered on which member of United's 2000s vintage would emerge as a media gadfly once retirement beckoned, Paul Scholes would have seemed the longest of long shots. The midfield maestro was hardly known for his verbosity during his playing days.

Yet here we are, with the 51-year-old seemingly incapable of letting more than a few days pass without taking aim at Old Trafford. Most recently, following United's 2-1 reverse on Tyneside, Scholes took to Instagram to land a dig at his former midfield colleague Michael Carrick.

"Michael has definitely got something special about him…cos Utd have been crap last four games…night," the ex-midfielder posted, before adding 'Tonali' and a love heart emoji. The sort of contribution guaranteed to wind up any self-respecting Red.

One might point out that Scholes' own record hardly puts him in a position to cast stones from such a fragile structure, but that's rather beside the point. What's truly galling is how the Class of '92 continually seizes upon any opportunity to land a blow against their former club.

Roy Keane leads this particular charge with characteristic vigour, though his vendetta with Carrick carries a peculiar edge. The Irishman has harboured a grudge since 2014, when Carrick faced Keane's criticism following United's loss to Olympiacos. Carrick's wife Lisa responded memorably at the time, leaving little doubt about her assessment of Keane's motivations.

When Carrick subsequently took the interim managerial role, Keane made his lingering resentment abundantly clear. He even suggested that Lisa might be better suited to delivering team talks, a cheap shot that revealed just how personally Keane has taken matters. Most bizarrely, Keane declared he wouldn't back Carrick for the permanent position even if he won every single match – a statement so absurd it barely warrants serious consideration.

Gary Neville, whilst less vitriolic than his former captain, hardly radiates enthusiasm when discussing United's prospects either.

This phenomenon appears almost exclusive to Manchester United. Across Sky Sports' broader punditry ranks, you won't observe Jamie Carragher making a habit of targeting Liverpool, nor Paul Merson taking regular aim at Arsenal. Yet one defeat to a side that qualified for the Champions League last season is sufficient to see the knives drawn for Carrick, who must reasonably wonder why his former teammates seem so determined to make his life difficult.

The interim boss deserves better than this relentless sniping from those who should perhaps know better.