Paul Scholes has aimed a brutal swipe at Manchester United’s recruitment strategy over the last two summers.
The United legend spoke on The Overlap (quotes via The Mirror), and first took aim at two big money deals from 2021.
“Jadon Sancho was a young player who Manchester United spent a lot of money on, who was unproven in the league. And why would a club like Real Madrid let Varane go?”
Both players have been key components of Erik ten Hag’s four game winning streak in the Premier League.
However that has done nothing to convince Scholes that they were the right players to bring in, as he slammed the club’s decision makers for lacking accountability over such signings.
“If you looked at him last season, he didn’t look right. I didn’t think it was a great transfer window. Nobody at the club is taking responsibility for it.”
Scholes had bleak words for United’s dealing in the last transfer window as well, with Casemiro’s signing the next object of is ire.
Many observers were concerned with the Red Devils leaning on the manager too much for recruitment this summer, with Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez, and Antony all joining the club straight from the Eredivisie.
The club also has an unsuccessful protracted transfer saga over Frenkie de Jong and signed Christian Eriksen, two more players to have worked with Ten Hag.
However the worry for Scholes is that Casemiro may not have been the manager’s signing.
“This year, Casemiro was done over two days.
“I wonder if it was the manager’s signing. A lot of money, a long contract. I think they need to put someone in charge of recruitment. Eventually, the manager will get blamed for it.”
Scholes went on to suggest that Ten Hag’s ideal footballing vision is doomed to fail at Old Trafford.
“Louis van Gaal joined Manchester United and wanted to play possession-based football, but United are not that. It was always about substance over style, scoring goals and making chances rather than a pretty end product.
“The crowd get nervous when the goalkeeper tries to play a ten-yard pass, that’s not a Manchester United philosophy, that’s Barcelona or Ajax. With Erik ten Hag, he’s stumbled across it.”
He went on to praise the new boss for his ability to adapt, although the comments will not make great reading for two of United’s stars.
“After the Brentford game, he realised he didn’t have the players to play that way, he knew he had to go more direct. Raphael Varane, great a player as he’s been, is not a great footballer.
“David De Gea is not a great footballer. So, play to your strengths, which for United is the attacking players, and you have to admire the new manager for playing that way.”
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