Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes believes caretaker boss Michael Carrick, assistant Mike Phelan and first-team coach Kieran McKenna should have left the club with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, saying he would be “embarrassed” to be staying on.
The Norwegian’s three-year tenure came to an end when he was dismissed in the wake of Saturday’s 4-1 Premier League defeat to Watford, the latest in a poor run of results.
Carrick takes charge of his first game away at Villarreal in Tuesday night’s crunch Champions League tie.
"I'd be almost embarrassed being on the staff now, I think they all should have gone."
"Ole trusted them each week, they've let the club down just as much."
No holding back from Paul Scholes on Solskjaer’s staff remaining in charge of Man Utd.#UCL pic.twitter.com/g2M6wHcSmv— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) November 23, 2021
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Scholes, though, believes all of Solskjaer’s coaching staff should have left with him rather than being kept on as the club look to recruit a new permanent boss.
“I would be almost embarrassed being on the staff now after what happened to Ole,” Scholes said on BT Sport ahead of the European fixture.
“I think they should all have gone, either sacked or they go off their own back.
“They were part of Ole’s team – Ole trusted them each week to prepare a team for games. They have let the club down, they have let the players down just as much as Ole has.
📰 Read everything Michael Carrick had to say ahead of tonight's #UCL tie against Villarreal...👇#MUFC
Advertisement— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 23, 2021
“I get the impression Ole put a lot of trust into Michael, into Kieran and Mike Phelan, which is why they shouldn’t be at the club now, I don’t think.
“Michael is a good friend… Mike Phelan, I have worked with these people. I just think if I was in their position now, I would be feeling guilty working at this football club still while Ole put so much trust in them.”
Former United defender Rio Ferdinand believes Solskjaer helped “lighten the mood” at Old Trafford when he replaced Jose Mourinho, but ultimately came up short on the pitch.
“He got to a place where there was a spirit back in Manchester United from the fanbase and the players, you could see there was a bit of buzz,” Ferdinand said on BT Sport.
“But in the end, it proved he was not up to getting us beyond and over that hump and the club had to make a decision.
“Was it the right decision at the right time? I think it should have been made maybe earlier.
“But there is a lot of mistakes which have happened behind the scenes and on the pitch. The players, the manager and the people above have to take responsibility.”
