Paul Scholes shares concern about Varane and De Gea | OneFootball

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has shared his thoughts on the new season to date, with Erik ten Hag taking charge.

Scholes singled out two United players for criticism, despite both featuring heavily in Ten Hag’s line-ups since the beginning of the campaign.

Those in question are Raphael Varane and David de Gea…

For starters, I can see why Scholes doesn’t think De Gea is a good footballer because his distribution is second rate and he rarely leaves his line.

But I’m not having the same criticism labeled at Varane when he has been a real asset to the team.

The Frenchman had a difficult debut season due to injuries, but he has been a Rolls Royce at the back alongside Lisandro Martinez since they became a pair. So much that I generally fear what will happen if one of two starting centre-backs get injured throughout the season.

Scholes claims that Varane is not up to the standard that Ten Hag requires to implement his preferred style of football at Old Trafford.

Speaking on The Overlap, Scholes said: “Louis van Gaal joined Manchester United and wanted to play possession-based football, but United are not that. It was always about substance over style, scoring goals and making chances rather than a pretty end product.

“The crowd get nervous when the goalkeeper tries to play a ten-yard pass, that’s not a Manchester United philosophy, that’s Barcelona or Ajax. With Erik ten Hag, he’s stumbled across it.

“After the Brentford game, he realised he didn’t have the players to play that way, he knew he had to go more direct. Raphael Varane, great a player as he’s been, is not a great footballer.

“David de Gea is not a great footballer. So, play to your strengths, which for United is the attacking players, and you have to admire the new manager for playing that way [more direct].”