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Manchester United Legend Paul Scholes Slams Scott McTominay And Fred

Manchester United Legend Paul Scholes Slams Scott McTominay And Fred

"They were playing as centre halves, not central midfield players."

Thomas Harvey

Thomas Harvey

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes slammed the displays of Red Devils pair Scott McTominay and Fred in the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was hoping to mark his 100th game in charge of United with a repeat performance of the 5-0 mauling of RB Leipzig in the Champions League.

However, it was Arsenal who took the points after Paul Pogba's clumsy foul on Hector Bellerin allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to score what proved to be the winning goal from the penalty spot.

Solskjaer again set his side up in a narrow diamond formation after it worked so well against Leipzig. But United were poor all over the park, only registering two shots on target, with Scholes picking out McTominay and Fred for particularly woeful performances.

"It's as poor as I've seen Manchester United at Old Trafford to be honest with you," Scholes told Premier League Productions.

"You have to give Arsenal credit - they were very good but on other hand you have to expect more from United and the two midfield players especially.

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PA

"I said at half-time if you're going to get your best, most creative players who can score goals on the ball then the two in midfield have to have some kind of possession and some kind of control, but the quality was missing from them two.

"They were playing as centre halves, not central midfield players."

One midfielder did impress Scholes, but it was an opposing player in Arsenal's Thomas Partey.

"He's an all-round midfielder," added Scholes. "You don't see many players like that these days.

"Midfielders are attacking midfielders or holding midfielders but a midfield players's job is to do everything.

"You have to contribute with everything and today he did a brilliant job in all departments."

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PA

The defeat pins more pressure on Solskjaer, who admitted his side struggled to get going in the opening 45 minutes.

"From the first half we never turned up," he said. "They were better than us. We have to turn up with more intensity.

"We were too sloppy, too many passes went astray, too many things that can go wrong went wrong for us."

Featured Image Credit: PA Images

Topics:Β Paul Scholes, Manchester United, Fred, Arsenal, scott mctominay, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer