Paul Scholes Slams Manchester United As 'Poisonous' Mess And Names Manager Club Should Sign
Paul Scholes says Man United "feels like a right mess" and questioned which player would want to come to Old Trafford in the current state.
Paul Scholes has ruthlessly branded Manchester United as a “poisonous” mess and named his preferred candidate for the club’s next permanent manager.
The Red Devils failed to mount a successful Premier League title challenge this season after finishing second in the 2020-21 campaign.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked last November after a miserable start to the season, with Ralf Rangnick appointed interim manager until the end of the campaign.
Rangnick has won four of his first seven matches in charge of United, with the Red Devils suffering only one defeat under the German.
United, who are seventh in the table, are four points adrift of the Premier League top four after a 1-0 defeat to Wolves at Old Trafford.
And the Red Devils fought hard to secure a 1-0 result against Aston Villa in their third-round FA Cup clash on Monday.
Scholes has now pulled no punches towards his former club, with the United legend blasting the current state of the Red Devils.
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Speaking to the Webby & O’Neill YouTube channel, he said: “The club just feels like it’s in a mess, player, staff and manager-wise.
“Who wants to come into this club? It feels like a right mess. It does feel poisonous.”
United have failed to captivate fans under Rangnick and the Red Devils interim manager’s renowned playing style has not made an immediate impact.
Scholes, who spent his entire club playing career at United, questioned if the Red Devils have enough equality in their squad to win trophies.
Scholes added: “It has to come a point where you think, ‘Are these players good enough?’
“We know [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Paul] Pogba, [Raphael] Varane, [Nemanja] Matic have great experience and won trophies but the rest of the squad haven’t proven themselves to be good enough to win anything.
“Some of these players have had a lot of games now. Marcus Rashford, he’s had a lot of games, are we ever going to see these lads reach their potential?
“Are they ever going to be good enough to win trophies? [Harry] Maguire, is he good enough? [Victor] Lindelof, is he good enough?
“We keep saying how good they are but they are failing to produce what is required on the pitch.”
Rangnick will step into a consultancy role at United after his caretaker spell.
“We have gone to a man [Rangnick] well regarded across Europe, especially by managers who speak highly of him like [Jurgen] Klopp and [Thomas] Tuchel,” Scholes said.
“He won promotion in Germany and a bit with Schalke but he has been asked to come and manage the biggest club in the world -- it’s something I just cannot get my head 'round.
“They should have the best available out there as their manager. They haven’t got that and I find that astonishing.
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“We should have one of the top five managers in the world. Now, Tuchel, [Pep] Guardiola and Klopp are the top three but they are unavailable, there is no chance of getting them. But then you look at Antonio Conte.”
The Premier League club are on the hunt for a new permanent manager, with Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino tipped as the frontrunner.
However, Scholes believes that Antonio Conte should succeed Solskjaer as the next United manager and the Red Devils could land him from Tottenham.
“Some people say he was not suited to United but you have seen what he is doing at Tottenham with a squad that is nowhere near as good as United’s,” he added.
“He will probably challenge for the top four and United missed a trick with him. They could probably still get him from Tottenham. Tottenham fans probably won’t like me for saying that.
“You can see he is already getting frustrated with his squad of players and is asking for other stuff. Conte could do something special here, he has got the pedigree to do it. Will we be able to get him? I don’t know.”
Featured Image Credit: Webby & O'Neill/PATopics: Paul Scholes, Manchester United, Premier League, England, Football
Adnan Riaz