Paul Scholes backs Manchester United to achieve Erik ten Hag’s no. 1 goal this season

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has stated that he believes his former club now have a good chance of finishing in the top four of the Premier League.

It has been a poor season for United for the majority of the campaign, with the club currently six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham.

Holding a goal difference of zero, United have also been knocked out of the Champions League and the Carabao Cup.

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However, in recent weeks United have seen an upturn in form, losing just twice in their last ten games in all competitions, with qualification for next season’s Champions League now the main aim for Erik ten Hag.

Winning six of their last eight games, United’s form has, at large, been attributed to a return from injury for several key players.

Speaking to Premier League Productions following United’s 2-1 win over Aston Villa, United club legend Scholes explained that having a settled squad will be vital to the club’s potential success this season.

“They can win a lot of games. It’s important they are in the Champions League,” Explained Scholes. “I’ve felt in the last two or three weeks, especially with all the players back, I still think they’ve got a chance of top four.

“I think they will get into it because they’ve got a little bit of experience coming back into the team. It’s important.

“They’ve got a lot of young players, we know that, and we’ll talk about the three young players especially, but when you’ve got a Casemiro next to them, when you’ve got a Varane coming in with them as well.

“It makes a big difference to your team. It adds a little bit of quality. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how they play. Sometimes, it’s just having their names around.

“You think about Casemiro, Real Madrid, and people just think all of a sudden, ‘Yeah, they’ve got a proper team playing’.”

Several Manchester United players have shared Scholes’ belief that they have no choice but to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

One such name was United defender Luke Shaw, who stated last week that a club like United “has to be in the Champions League”.

Shaw was withdrawn from the United team at half-time during the club’s 2-1 win over Aston Villa, with the move believed to be precautionary.