New Oldham Athletic boss Paul Scholes has won his first game in charge and anticipates that Jose Mourinho will be taking a keen interest in how he fares in management. Having often criticised the Portuguese manager's reign at Old Trafford, the former Red Devils midfielder claims he is now "wide open" to scrutiny. The former England and Manchester United midfielder has made his first foray into management with the Latics, the club he supported as a boy. And he got off to the best possible start as his new side thrashed Yeovil Town 4-1 at Boundary Park to give Scholes a win in his first game in management.
The 44-year-old retired from playing in 2013 having spent his entire career at Old Trafford, and he initially moved into punditry. It was in that role that he would regularly criticise Mourinho's time at United, with Scholes having accused him of "embarrassing the club" before he was sacked in December. Mourinho once said he hoped Scholes would be "25 per cent as successful as myself" if he ever went into management, and the new Oldham boss thinks the Portuguese may well be keeping an eye on the League Two side's results.
"I think he will be watching results," Scholes said at his first news conference. "That is part of the thing that bugged me a little bit. I wanted to get into it anyway but I have left myself wide open. "I have been quite critical. If pundits - I don't think we will get many pundits watching - if we are losing games I am sure people will be popping up. "They can say what they want, I have never really understood why players and managers take notice of what pundits say anyway. They are just giving an opinion on the game and get paid for doing so. "If anyone wants to have a dig at me, I won't be taking any notice. The only person I answer to is the owner."
Scholes is the latest player from Sir Alex Ferguson's previous United sides to move into management, following in the footsteps of ex-colleagues like Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. And Scholes admits he will ring Ferguson if he requires any advice.
"I'd speak to anyone yeah, I'm sure the gaffer is on the other end of the phone," he added. "He'll want me to do well and if I need any help from him, I'll be ringing him, of course I will."


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