Siddharth Juyal
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes casts scepticism on the club’s Champions League knockout stage aspirations
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes voiced his doubts regarding the club’s prospects of advancing to the Champions League knockout stage. The Red Devils are currently third in the UEFA Champions League Group A table with two losses and one win.
United started the Champions League campaign with a 4-3 loss against Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena. They lost their second game 2-3 to the Turkish club Galatasaray at Old Trafford.
However, the Red Devils narrowly won their third match 1-0 against FC Copenhagen at home. United will play the must-win away game against the Danish club on Wednesday.
United have only one game with home advantage remaining and that is against the undefeated group leaders, Bayern. The away match at Turkey against Galatasaray would likely decide the fate of the English giants.
Scholes told TNT Sports (h/t Eurosport) that United are facing an uphill battle to reach the Champions League’s knockout stage. He said:
“They’re in big trouble, I always say in the Champions League, win your home games and try and get a draw or a win in an away game and you usually qualify. It makes me worry about going to Copenhagen, who aren’t a brilliant team but they’re organised. I don’t know if there’s the character and fighters in that team to be able to cope with a big atmosphere. But if they do win in Copenhagen, it gives them a real chance.”
United have lost eight out of the 16 games in all competitions while conceding 26 goals and scoring just 21. United manager Erik ten Hag has struggled to put together a consistent starting eleven due to an injury crisis.
Many football experts have criticized the Dutchman for ignoring the philosophy that helped him achieve success at his former club Ajax Amsterdam. Ten Hag has tried to use multiple approaches in different games to accommodate the players he has at the club.
However, the United hierarchy has backed the 53-year-old with full control over the players’ recruitment and significant funding.
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Ten Hag enjoyed his first season at the club by helping them return to finishing third in the Premier League. The achievement helped the Red Devils return to the Champions League football this season.
Additionally, the United boss guided the club to the Carabao Cup triumph that broke the six-year trophy drought. United fans expected further progress this season but currently, they are hoping for some damage control. Failure to reach the Champions League knockout stage would be a significant disappointment for the Red Devils.
