Man United Legend Paul Scholes Questions Two Erik ten Hag Signings

Man United Legend Paul Scholes Questions Two Erik ten Hag Signings

  • Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has named two players who are not helping the club play from the back
  • Erik ten Hag has not employed a possession-based style at the club since he arrived in 2022
  • The Dutchman has struggled to give the Red Devils an identity similar to that of Ajax Amsterdam

Manchester United has struggled to compete with the top Premier League teams since Erik Ten Hag's appointment in 2022.

Although they have won two trophies in the last two seasons, their performances have been wanting.

Club legend Paul Scholes believes two of Ten Hag's signings haven't helped the Dutchman.

Erik ten Hag's signings at Manchester United have struggled to adapt
Manchester United are still looking for an identity under Erik ten Hag. Photo by James Gill - Danehouse.
Source: UGC

Man United have struggled with an identity crisis under Ten Hag. Fans expected the Red Devils to employ a possession-heavy style, but that hasn't happened yet.

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Last season, the Red Devils played a high-octane transition-focused style, resulting in their worst-ever Premier League finish.

Last year, Ten Hag said he couldn't get Man United to play like Ajax because he didn't have the players.

"I can't play like Ajax because I have different players," explained Ten Hag. "I came here with my philosophy, based on possession, but I wanted to combine it with the DNA of Manchester United, the players and their characters," via Sky Sports.

This season, the 20-time champions have produced poor performances and lost two of their opening three games, putting the Dutchman under pressure.

Which Man United players are not good enough

Scholes is not convinced that goalkeeper Andre Onana and Matthijs De Ligt helped Manchester United play the ball from the back.

"When Pep [Guardiola] first started doing it, you thought 'wow, that's brilliant' and he'll still do it now, of course he will," Scholes told the Stick to Football podcast via Manchester Evening News.

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"I think Ten Hag actually wants to do it a bit with bringing that 'keeper [Onana] in and De Ligt, but they're still not good enough at doing it and they end up just booting it anyway."

Since joining the club in 2023, Onana has come under intense criticism. De Ligt joined this summer and has had some shaky performances.

Virgil van Diijk comments on De Ligt

Briefly News earlier reported that Liverpool defender Virgil van Djik commented on Matthijs de Ligt's mistakes for the Netherlands.

The former Bayern Munich defender made some costly error on international duty and was hooked at halftime.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Authors:
Viginia Akinyi avatar

Viginia Akinyi (sports editor) Viginia Akinyi is the current import editor at Briefly News. She holds a B.Sc. in Communication and Public Relations from Moi University and has previously worked with Lolwe TV, Daily Nation Eldoret Bureau and SportsBrief.com. Email: viginia.akinyi@briefly.co.za