Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has revealed how difficult it will be for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to recover from the harrowing defeat against Liverpool.
Here's what the former English player said:
"It’s going to be very difficult [for Solskjaer] to come back from it, you really don’t know. You do have to question tactics, today of all days, we keep going back to it, playing those two in midfield [Fred and Scott McTominay] virtually on their own. It was almost two against five players at times. It’s impossible for any midfielder."
Scholes added:
"We can sit here and say Fred and McTominay aren’t good enough for Man United in centre midfield to win a league, but when you’re exposed as they are it’s impossible for anyone. This was always going to happen, playing a game like that against a top-class team, this was always going to happen."
Scholes also revealed how some of the Manchester United players have never won anything. But they have been applauded for their talent, which has come under scrutiny after performances like the one against Liverpool the other night.
The Red Devils were 0-2 down within the first 15 minutes of the game. Naby Ketia and Diogo Jota's goals were shadowed by Mo Salah's hat-trick. Liverpool absolutely thrashed Manchester United and scored five goals past their back-line.
This has put Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tactics and position at Old Trafford on a sticky wicket. Fans and pundits are of the view that Manchester United need a better manager to compete with the likes of Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel.
Paul Scholes accuses Manchester United's Mason Greenwood of cheating against Liverpool
The 46-year-old believes Greenwood's poor decision-making "ruined the whole team."
Greenwood ran out of position to chase down Virgil van Dijk, forcing Manchester United's defense to change shape. This made it easier for Salah, Robertson and Ketia to move into better scoring positions.
Here's what Scholes said on the subject:
"Tactically it was bad today, really bad. You think about Mason [Greenwood] in that first instance going to close him down, that was almost cheating. He knew he wasn’t going to get the ball and he knew it looks like he was going to close him down but he knew he was just going to pass it and he can’t do anything."
He added:
"It’s almost a cheating way of sprinting to him, they pass it and then he has a little walk back because he thought, ‘I’ve done my bit’. But he hasn’t done his bit, he’s ruined the whole team, all the team get pulled out of position, [Aaron] Wan-Bissaka has to come out, [Victor] Lindelof ends up at right-back, then there’s all of the space in the middle."
Manchester United have now failed to win their last four Premier League games. Furthermore, they have failed to keep a clean sheet in just one of their last 21 games.
After the Red Devils lost to Liverpool the other night, they are now seven points behind their rivals and as many as eight off current Premier League leaders Chelsea.
It's safe to say that a move up the Premier League table will be an uphill task for Manchester United.