“Never normally…” Paul Scholes singles out unlikely Manchester United player he’s seen a change in this week

Paul Scholes has singled out a change he has seen in the last week of a Manchester United star following Rúben Amorim’s 4-1 Europa League win over Real Sociedad.

Manchester United stormed into the Europa League quarter-finals with a 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad, inspired by a Bruno Fernandes hat-trick and a late strike from Diogo Dalot.

Sociedad took an early lead at Old Trafford as Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty, but United quickly hit back, with Fernandes equalising from the spot after Rasmus Højlund was fouled.

Fernandes struck again from the penalty spot early in the second half after Patrick Dorgu was brought down, and Sociedad’s night worsened when Jon Aramburu saw red for a reckless challenge on Dorgu.

With the visitors down to ten men, United took full control. Fernandes completed his hat-trick before Dalot wrapped up the win in stoppage time. Rúben Amorim’s side will now face Olympique Lyonnais in the quarter-finals.

Scholes highlights unexpected change from Højlund

Højlund has come under so much fire in the last few months following his barren striker run, where he has now not netted across his last 21 appearances.

However, former United midfielder Paul Scholes had praise to give for the Danish international after the Real Sociedad win, explaining that he saw an unlikely change from the 22-year-old on Thursday evening.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Scholes explained that despite the 21-game run, Højlund did not look like a player who was short on confidence, and that he played well with the ball at his feet.

Yeah, it was,” Scholes explained when asked if Højlund put in a good performance. “He didn’t look like a player tonight who was short on confidence.

“I think all his stuff outside the box was good. It’s never normally that good, but I think it was good tonight. I think his work rate, he occupied the defenders, as Rúben Amorim said. As the manager said, he occupies them.

“He allows that space for Zirkzee to come into the game, for [Alejandro] Garnacho to come into the game, for Fernandes to come into them spaces as well. Look, he did everything right tonight, apart from score a goal.

“That is the only criticism you’ve got for him, and it’s Manchester United centre-forward. He needs to score goals. He will be judged on scoring goals, but as an all-round centre-forward player, this play I thought was very good.”

Only one Højlund goal is needed

As a young player, you can forgive Højlund for blowing hot and cold during his early years at Old Trafford, but to not score for 21 appearances is beyond what anyone would have guessed after he scored five goals in his first six appearances under Amorim.

However, what United fans have also learned with Højlund in the last 18 months is that once he scores one goal, the floodgates tend to open.

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Last season, he became the youngest player in Premier League history to score in six games in a row in the league last season and this was following a spell where he did not net in his first 14 appearances in the competition.

There is also the case of recently it’s felt as if he has not been supplied with chances, although the introduction of Dorgu into the side has helped push United further forward, which has in turn created more chances ahead of the goal.

It’s only a matter of time before Højlund scores again, and there is a general feeling that once he scores one, he will continue to add to his tally.

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