Paul Scholes has made a brutally honest admission about Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes despite the Portuguese scoring the winning goal during the Red Devils’ 3-2 win against Burnley on Saturday.
Fernandes made no mistake from the penalty spot in the dying embers of Man United’s Premier League clash against Burnley at Old Trafford on Saturday to hand the Red Devils their first win of the 2025/26 campaign.
Despite a positive result, pressure remains on Ruben Amorim with some questioning his position following last week’s Carabao Cup exit against League Two Grimsby.
Amorim, 40, will be hoping this summer’s arrivals - Matheus Cunha, Enzo Kana-Biyik, Diego Leon, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Senne Lammens – can improve his side’s fortunes after the international break, but not everyone, including Scholes, is convinced by the current system employed by the Portuguese.
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During Tuesday’s episode of the Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet, Scholes discussed United’s current predicament with former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.
“I think a lot of good teams have the midfield sorted…” Scholes said.
“There’s too much indecision in the midfield area, you think of Casemiro – he’s been a brilliant player, but we know his deficiencies, don’t we?
“Fernandes (and Casemiro), they’re the two he’s going with, and Fernandes for me, he’s someone who fills in as a midfielder – he might get away with it for one, two or three games.
“He’s not got the discipline to be a central midfield player.”
Both Fernandes and Casemiro have started all three Premier League matches so far this campaign, while Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte have been forced to watch from the bench.
He added: “Bringing two numbers tens (Cunha and Mbeumo) was that really necessary? You think you’ve got Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo can do that… If you’ve done that and wasted a bit of money and not been able to get a midfield player or a goalkeeper, it’s not great recruitment-wise is it?
“I can’t make better what a lot of the problems are in the team, which are two central midfield players, and the goalkeepers are massive.”
Despite Scholes’ take, on Tuesday, the MEN reported that United “did not consider” signing a midfielder during the summer transfer window.
Sources reportedly stated that “the midfield was never a priority due to already having options that the club views as strong and versatile”, – although United did enquire about Carlos Baleba’s availability.
United will now have a two-week break before their Premier League season resumes with a trip across Manchester to the Etihad, where they will face Manchester City on September 14.
Topics: Manchester United, Paul Scholes, Bruno Fernandes, Premier League, Football, Ruben Amorim, Casemiro
Luke Davies