Manchester United legend Paul Scholes said even manager Louis van Gaal looked ‘bored’ by the team’s laboured 1-0 win in the FA Cup against League One side Sheffield United.
Highlights
- Manchester United sealed undeserved FA Cup victory over Sheffield United
- Wayne Rooney scored an injury-time penalty after foul on Memphis Depay
- Paul Scholes was very critical of the performance in post-match analysis
- BT Sport pundit said Louis van Gaal’s style of playing isn’t suited to club
- The United legend also said the underperforming players looked bored
Scholes, a close friend of Class of 92 team-mate and Van Gaal assistant Ryan Giggs, has been critical of the United boss this season but upped the ante after a dismal third round tie in which the Premier League side took 69 minutes to register a shot on target.
‘The players are bored, fans are bored, everyone’s bored. You look across at the bench and Van Gaal looks bored as well,’ said Scholes who was at Old Trafford commentating for television.
Scholes made no secret of his anger at the club’s narrow victory during BT Sport’s post-match analysis
‘I don’t think he likes his teams to play football, we’ve seen nothing different now for the last six months.
‘That’s the way this team have been playing, but he’ll be happy with the 1-0 win. We don’t see anything else. They had to win a game against a League One side with a penalty in the 94th minute.
‘I’ve tried to defend this team for the last two or three weeks but it’s getting more and more difficult to do. Every time you come to Old Trafford, this is what you see; negative football. The thing for me is, I see square pegs in round holes with players in the team
‘I don’t think there will be many fans who will be happy with that performance. I’d never call for manager to be sacked. He’s got some really good players there, but he’s spent £250million so he’s got to have good players here. His style of football is not suited to Manchester United.’
Van Gaal has reacted angrily to Scholes’ comments before but in a change of emphasis he claimed that he had to take the criticism as Manchester United manager, along with his players including Marouane Fellaini who was sarcastically applauded when he was substituted.
‘I think a player of Manchester United has to cope with the pressure of the fans of Manchester United and also the media. That is also what I expect of the manager.
‘I do think the crowd can have an influence on players but I also think a Manchester United player has to cope with that. Otherwise you are not a good Manchester United player.’
The 30-year-old celebrates his winner as the home side broke Sheffield United’s hearts at the death
‘The result was Okay but the performance was not OK,’ he said.
‘We moved the ball too slowly and we have to play with wingers when you have defensive organisation like that with 11 players behind the ball. Then you have to make the pitch as big as possible.
‘We didn’t do that in the first half, it was better after the changes but we have to be much better.’
Lazio want £40million for Anderson so van Gaal doesn’t expect any transfer business to be done in January although he would like additions.
Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger injured his knee and is a doubt for Tuesday’s Premier League match at Newcastle United.
The Bloomgist 