Manchester United legend Paul Scholes did not hold back in his post-match assessment of the Red Devils following their last-ditch FA Cup victory over Sheffield United.
Wayne Rooney’s stoppage-time penalty was enough to seal their passage through to the fourth round after Dean Hammond felled Memphis Depay in the area.
However, it was another boring display from Louis van Gaal’s side, who failed to register a shot on target until after the hour mark, and were met with ironic cheers as Depay tried a shot from range.
Scholes said the display was ‘depressing’, ‘boring’ and ‘negative’ and said it would have taken him ‘two or three days’ to get over it.
“You need to make something happen as a footballer at this club,” he said in an explosive interview on BT Sport. “People need digging out sometimes.
“I’d have my head in my hands. I’d be depressed. It would take me two or three days to get over that performance.
“You’ve just seen 90 minutes of boring, defensive football. The players are bored, fans are bored, everyone’s bored. You look across at the bench and Van Gaal looks bored as well.
“I have tried to defend this team now for the last two or three weeks and it is getting more and more difficult to do.
“Every time you come to Old Trafford – this is what you see. Negative football.
“You can talk about 31 shots in the last two games – we only scored two goals. I see square pegs in round holes.
“We bought Marouane Fellaini because he is a real handful in the box – he is playing in a central midfield position trying to dictate play and create. It isn’t his game – he’s never going to be able to do that.
“Herrera – I don’t know what he is. He is a number 10? Is he a midfield player? I don’t think Van Gaal knows that.
“Juan Mata plays on the right side – he doesn’t have the pace. Martial – is he a left winger, is he a centre forward? Who knows?
“It gets constantly changed from position to position. There are so many question marks over the time.
“The only thing I would say – I’m glad I don’t have to go to Sheffield a week on Tuesday.”
Scholes added:
“There’s always pressure here. You’ve got to be good enough.
“The players are here for a reason, they should be able to win games here.
“There’s a lack of urgency. They’re closing people down – not really tackling, it’s just a token gesture.
“You should be beating teams like this convincingly.”
Scholes is best friend with United assistant coach Ryan Giggs. Scholes has been extremely critical of van Gaal and United all season and you think that if Giggs disagreed with his comments he would have asked him to tone it down a little,
it is not just Giggs’s best friend who is criticizing his boss. Giggs’ brother Rhodri launched a scathing attack on Louis van Gaal during Manchester United’s FA Cup tie against Sheffield United at Old Trafford.
“This philosophy is toilet, why don’t you get you’re superstars in on a Monday and teach them how to cross a ball #imfreefridays” he tweeted.
Maybe this is the sign that a coup is underway and that Giggs, with the support of Fergie, will overthrow van Gaal?
