Manchester United legend concedes “what we said probably wasn’t great” but insists opinion was justified
Paul Scholes has refused to apologise for his comments regarding Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez.
Scholes and another former United player Nicky Butt mocked the size difference between Martinez and Erling Haaland ahead of the Manchester derby last week, saying the Argentine had no chance against him.
But Haaland was completely shut out in the derby, making only 14 touches. He has now failed to score in six out of seven games against Martinez.
Martinez eventually said after that game that any United legend, including Scholes and Butt, were free to come to his house if they had anything to say. After the derby, Scholes made a snide comment that “someone’s had a good game”, before joking that he would visit the defender, saying “tea… no sugar, please”.
On the Overlap podcast, the Scholes said he would not apologise.
“I didn’t realise I had so many Argentinian friends,” the United legend joked. “Look, what we said probably wasn’t great when you look back. I’m not apologising for it. The thing we were trying to say was what we thought and still is, physically, it’s a mismatch, but the way we described probably it wasn’t great and probably shouldn’t have done that.
“He’s had one good game though. I hope to God he proves me wrong, but look at the week before against Brighton and Danny Welbeck. Look at the week before that against Burnley. He gave the goal away against Burnley.
“We probably worded it not in a great way and I hope he proves me wrong. He had a great game against City, he was brilliant and we have got to see that now again for the rest of the season.”
