Paul Scholes has slammed two Manchester United players after the disappointing start to the season and claimed that they should have been sold in the summer.
Manchester United have opened the campaign with their poorest Premier League start since 1992/93, picking up just four points from their first four games.
In that season, the Reds recovered to clinch the first of their 13 league titles, but such a turnaround looks far from realistic this time.
Losses to Manchester City and Arsenal, a draw with Fulham, and a single win over Burnley have underlined their poor form, while a shock Carabao Cup elimination at the hands of Grimsby Town has only added to the pressure.
Ruben Amorim’s tactical stubbornness and questionable team choices are drawing increased criticism, with Chelsea next to visit Old Trafford.
Scholes slams United duo who should’ve been sold
United allowed plenty of players to leave the club in the summer, either on permanent deals or loan departures.
But club legend Paul Scholes believes that Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw should have also been sold in the summer, with neither player having the athleticism to play at Premier League level anymore.
“I don’t think the system was the problem against Manchester City. It’s more the personnel. United lack real athletes,” Scholes told SPORTbible.
“In the Premier League, you almost have to be like a machine to survive, and we’ve got people like Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw.
“They are not at the level. In 85 to 90 percent of games, they will probably cope with people, but when you come to the bigger games, against City, Liverpool and Arsenal, they are going to fall short.
“He [Shaw] should have left along with Harry Maguire in the summer. United should have brought in one or two new centre-halves. They can’t cope physically in these bigger games.”
United fans wouldn’t disagree with Scholes
Not many United fans would disagree with Scholes’ assessment on Maguire and Shaw, who are earning a combined £340,000-a-week with bonuses included.
Maguire seems to be slowly moving into a backup role, where most of his influence comes behind the scenes and at the training ground, and you need those kind of players.
But Amorim keeps looking to the English defender at the end of games when the Reds are struggling, partly due to his aerial ability, and that shouldn’t be a regular move.
READ MORE: “Fantastic” Manchester United starlet desperate to leave this month, he could end up in Qatar
Shaw, on the other hand, has started all four Premier League games this season and his quality on the ball can be very useful. The problem is that his physicality is not the same and that is crucial in those wide centre-back roles.
Whether or not the duo should have been sold in the summer, it is clear that neither of them can be consistent starters at Old Trafford if things are going to improve.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.