Scholes picks four Man Utd stars who ‘aren’t right’ for Amorim’s side as he identifies a ‘problem’

Joe Williams
Man Utd legend Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes sits on the bench ahead of a Premier League match

Paul Scholes insists there are four Man Utd players who “don’t want to do the ugly side of the game” and will struggle under Ruben Amorim.

The Red Devils sacked Erik ten Hag last week after a terrible start to the new season and quickly moved to appoint Sporting Lisbon boss Amorim.

Amorim will officially start on November 11 after he’s taken charge of his final Sporting match against Braga at the weekend after they sensationally beat Man City 4-1 on Tuesday night.

The Portuguese coach has used a back three formation throughout his time at Sporting with 3-4-3 emerging as his favourite in recent times.

And former Man Utd midfielder Scholes has questioned whether Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui are the correct fit under Amorim.

Speaking ahead of the Red Devils’ 2-0 win over PAOK in the Europa League on Thursday night, Scholes told TNT Sports: “There are three or four players, especially forward players, who don’t want to do the ugly side of the game. He’s going to have to make them do that.

“We talk about the back three, we have six centre-halves they can choose from. He has got the two central midfielders in Casemiro and [Manuel] Ugarte. It’s the wingbacks that could be the problem.

“Does he want wingers who are going to run back? If he wants that, I’m not sure Rashford and Garnacho are right for that.

“Does he want two wing-backs in Dalot and Mazraoui who might be a little bit better defensively but not as good going forward?’”

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And Scholes reckons Kobbie Mainoo could key play a key role under Amorim in a more advanced position than the England international is currently used to.

Scholes added: “He has then got his two no10s. Fernandes is one of them and I actually think Mainoo could be one of them too. I think he’ll be better player higher up, it will suit it more.”

Amad Diallo scored both the goals as Man Utd beat PAOK on Thursday night with interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy hailing the Ivory Coast international’s contribution.

Van Nistelrooy said: “He made a difference for us today, because of his goals but he was very sharp. I think in the first half, he was one of the few who was at his level. Well done to him, good game. His first goal was a good goal and a good Bruno assist.

“We like when we were in those spaces where Bruno was to put the ball in between the keeper and the backline – you can see the three players in the movement, it’s something we’ve worked on a lot since the beginning of the season.

“They are always dangerous areas to cross from and we needed this. Amad made his own goal [for the second goal], Christian [Eriksen] tried to cross it and then he came inside on his left and getting it in the far post was excellent. He won his own duel and took the shot for the goal – a good goal.”