
Paul Scholes has divided the Manchester United fanbase following his comments on new signing Youri Tielemans.
In July, Man United announced the signing of Aston Villa midfielder Tielemans for £35 million, with the Belgian playmaker penning a five-year contract.
Michael Carrick was forced to overhaul his engine room after Casemiro left on a free transfer to join Inter Miami, while Manuel Ugarte is expected to be sidelined for up to a year after tearing his cruciate ligaments.
Tielemans became the Red Devils' second midfield capture of the summer after Andrey Santos moved to Old Trafford in a £50m transfer from Chelsea.
Advert
The 29-year-old arrives with an abundance of Premier League experience, having made 244 appearances in the competition while establishing himself as one of Europe's best deep-lying playmakers.
The 90-cap Belgian international was particularly crucial for Unai Emery last term, as his two goals and three assists in the Europa League helped Villa end their 30-year wait for a major trophy.
On Sunday, Tielemans appeared in United colours for the first time, coming off the bench for the final 25 minutes of their 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain.
Tielemans impressed Man United supporters in a deep-lying midfield role during his short time on the pitch, linking well with Bruno Fernandes as he looked to get the ball forward at every opportunity.
In fact, the former Villa man completed all 21 of his attempted passes, produced nine carries and recovered the ball five times, giving fans a glimpse of his ball-playing talents.
He will now want to demonstrate his qualities even further when Carrick's side come up against Leeds United on Wednesday evening in their penultimate pre-season friendly.
Paul Scholes highlights his concern over Youri Tielemans
Ahead of the new campaign, the big challenge for Tielemans is maintaining consistency and managing the weight of expectation, something players have struggled to do in the past at Old Trafford.
READ NEXT: Paul Scholes names the £40m defender Man United should sign to reach next level
And that is an element of his game Paul Scholes has questioned, suggesting that the Belgian ace blew hot and cold at Villa Park and cannot afford to do so at Man United.
"I think Tielemans can be a 9/10 or a 2/10,” Scholes said on The Good, The Bad, & The Football podcast.
“I was a little bit like that. I could be a 2/10 or an 8/10. I think it’s just the way he plays. You see some games, if he should be playing in the best team in the world and other weeks…
“Maybe at Villa you can get away with that, or Leicester, the club where he was at. At Man United you’ve got to be performing four out of five games. You can’t afford to be two or three games out of five.”
Unsurprisingly, when the clip surfaced on social media, many disagreed with the United legend.
"His favourite player Tonali also chucks up 2/10s half of the time," one fan wrote.
"Someone else who hasn't watched a single game Tielemans has played for the last three years. Every game 8 or more out of 10," another argued.
"And you wonder why people have turned to alternative media coverage. Also another example of why the best football coverage comes from those who didn’t play the game," someone else commented.
"Obviously hasn't watched Tielemans since his Leicester days," a fourth agreed.
After they clash with Leeds, United play AC Milan in their final pre-season friendly before starting their Premier League campaign with a trip to newly-promoted Hull City on August 22.
Topics: Premier League, Paul Scholes, Football News