Paul Scholes doubts Manchester United’s decision to pursue Matthijs de Ligt following Tottenham defeat

The Red Devils' disappointing start to the 2024/25 season persisted at Old Trafford as Brennan Johnson scored a goal just three minutes into the game, sending Spurs' fans into a frenzy with the early lead.

Bruno Fernandes was shown a straight red card for a reckless foul on James Maddison in the 42nd minute and the situation went from bad to worse for the hosts as a pair of second-half goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke put the game to bed.

The result means United remain stranded down in 12th place in the Premier League table and there will be intense pressure on Erik ten Hag to get a result away to Aston Villa next weekend.

‘You don’t know how they’re going to play,’ legendary ex-United and England midfielder Scholes said on SuperSport.

‘You don’t know how they’re going approach games, whether they are going to play on the counter-attack or sit deep or whether they’re going to try to have all the possession in the game. We’ve no idea. They look like an uncoached football team.

‘We’re two and a bit years in now… from the first week Ange Postecoglou went in, we probably knew what Tottenham were doing and they’re doing it to this day.

‘We’re two and a bit years down the road [at United] and, as I said, it’s an uncoached team.

‘The players looked dead today, they looked flat, they looked, “I don’t know what to do”, there’s no enthusiasm for the game of football and that can only come from the training pitch.

‘Some of the positions that people take up on the pitch, it’s just madness at times.’

Scholes was critical of United’s recent recruitment and believes £43million summer arrival De Ligt is no improvement on Harry Maguire, who has made just two starts in the league this season.

‘When you bring players in, you expect them to be a lot better than who you’ve already got. I don’t see players coming in who are a big difference,’ Scholes said.

‘De Ligt has come in for Maguire, let’s say, but there’s no big difference there.

Asked whether De Ligt is a £50m improvement on former club captain Maguire, Scholes replied: ‘No, absolutely not.’

Scholes hopes United players stop making ‘excuses’ and instead find a way to start getting results before Ten Hag’s position becomes untenable.

‘These are experienced players who United have paid a lot of money for,’ he added.

‘We need to stop hearing excuses and get on that training pitch and find a way of playing.

‘Find something, give us something!’

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