Scholes: Man Utd wouldn’t play like this under Fergie

Mark Holmes
Wayne Rooney: Struggling for goals at Manchester United this season

Wayne Rooney: Struggling for goals at Manchester United this season

Paul Scholes says he wouldn’t enjoy playing in the current Manchester United team, claiming they are “coached to defend” by Louis van Gaal.

Not for the first time, Scholes has given a withering assessment of United’s style of play under Van Gaal, suggesting the Dutchman is stifling the team of creative freedom.

“The style is not something that Sir Alex Ferguson would have adhered to,” Scholes told BBC Radio Manchester.

“I actually think the team is brilliantly coached to defend.

“I think the hardest thing to do is to coach scoring goals, creativity and to have players who are off the cuff.

“It’s a team you wouldn’t want to play against and its probably a team you wouldn’t want to play in either.

“There’s a lack of risk and creativity. It seems he doesn’t want players to beat men and score goals – it’s not a team I would have enjoyed playing in.”

Scholes has also defended the form of his former team-mate Wayne Rooney, who has scored only two goals in nine Premier League appearances this season.

“I was at the Manchester derby and I watched him (Rooney) for the first 20 minutes,” Scholes said.

“His movement was brilliant but when he’s playing in that team there’s nobody prepared to pass to him. You’d be tearing your hair out.

“Ruud van Nistelrooy, Teddy Sheringham, Andy Cole couldn’t play in this team. You don’t get crosses in the box, midfielders looking for runs. I think it’s a very difficult team to be a centre forward in.”

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