Manchester United have played miserable football under Louis van Gaal: Paul Scholes

Paul Scholes has criticized Manchester United’s playing style

Former Manchester United midfielder and club legend Paul Scholes has criticised the manner in which his former club has played under Dutch manager Louis van Gaal, calling it “miserable”. United are currently third in the Premier League table with 47 points in 25 games and face Swansea at the Liberty Stadium next Saturday.

“It does not give me any pleasure to say that at the moment I am struggling to watch Louis van Gaal’s team with any great enjoyment. They beat Burnley on Wednesday night, but it was Burnley who had by far the best of the first half,” Scholes wrote in his column for the Independent.

“At times, United’s football is miserable. To beat opposing teams you have to attack, and to attack you have to take risks. Too few of the players in the current team are prepared to take those risks,” Scholes added.

The 40-year-old further wrote that, during his time at Old Trafford, taking risks in order to create goal scoring opportunities wasn't an option, but something that needed to be done for the benefit of the side.

“Part of being a Manchester United player under Sir Alex Ferguson, perhaps the most important part of being one of United’s attacking players, was that when you were in possession you had to take risks in order to create goal-scoring chances. It was not an option; it was an obligation,” he wrote.

Attacking style of play won't always help you keep clean sheets: Scholes

Scholes also pointed out that playing an attacking style of football doesn't necessarily mean that the team won't give away chances to their opponents. He also admitted that had he not opted to take risks during his time, he probably wouldn't have found a place in the starting XI.

“United’s history was built on attacking football, which does not always mean that the team kept clean sheets or did not concede chances.

“Why do you think United have had some of the best goalkeepers in the world over the years? They needed them because the team committed so many players forward.

“In the periods of my career when I stopped passing the ball forward, or when I stopped looking for the risky pass that might open up a defence, the consequences were the same.

“The manager stopped picking me. I got back into the team when I went back to doing it the way he wanted,” the veteran player said.