Manchester United legend Paul Scholes revealed that one of the players reacted negatively to his criticism, asking for a meet-up. The former Man United midfielder has acted as a pundit since his retirement and his criticisms often bring various feedbacks.
However, most of that feedback is from football fans while such a reaction from a current player occurs very rarely. The reaction also showcases the lack of mental resilience in the current team which often presents itself with underwhelming performances.
The Red Devils fanbase have suffered a miserable season as their team currently lies 13th in the Premier League table. United’s only hope to reach next season’s Champions League is now solely on their Europa League campaign under Ruben Amorim.
Amorim succeeded Erik ten Hag in the middle of the season after the former boss failed to rejuvenate his team. The former Sporting CP manager has faced immediate issues with the squad he inherited as they struggle to adjust quickly.
The new tactical style of play has proven too much for the squad that carries many players at massive wages. Their struggle highlights that a big reputation and technical qualities are not enough if there are mental limitations within players.
Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate (via YouTube), Scholes revealed that one of the current United players reached out unkindly due to his criticism. The United legend revealed that the unknown player disliked the criticism and wanted to meet him to hash things out. He said:
“Players can be a little bit touchy these days. I had a player, this year, who contacted me and wasn’t happy with some of the things I’d said. He wanted to meet me at the training ground, and I said, “Of course, no problem,” and gave him my number but he never got back to me. I would have done it. If I’m saying things I believe and he wants me to explain why, it wouldn’t have been a nice conversation, but I said if they or anyone else has a problem, there’s my phone number. What we say [as pundits] shouldn’t affect a player. The only people that should affect the players is what the manager thinks, the coaching staff, and their team-mates. Whatever is said on TV should be taken with a pinch of salt.”
Scholes made a valid point and this incident shows the problems that the current team is regularly facing. United have spent a lot of money in the transfer market and continued to back Ten Hag despite his signings failing immediately.
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The Red Devils need to change this tradition if they want to return to the top of the Premier League. Amorim will receive the opportunity to change thins in the summer transfer window when he gets to sign the players according to his desired profile.