Paul Scholes slams Erik ten Hag for 'complete disaster' as Sir Alex Ferguson claim made

Paul Scholes laid into Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag after the club’s capitulation against Sevilla.

United were coasting through their Europa League quarter-final first-leg against Sevilla after Marcel Sabitzer netted a first-half brace.

However, the La Liga side profited from an atrocious ending to the game for Ten Hag’s men. First, United defender Tyrell Malacia diverted the ball past David De Gea in the dying embers to give Sevilla a lifeline.

Then, two minutes into injury time Youssef En-Nesyri's off-target header struck Harry Maguire and flew into the net.

United's Europa League aspirations now hinge on producing a positive result in next Thursday's return at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, which they will play without their leading scorer Marcus Rashford, who is injured.

Meanwhile, their first-choice centre-back partnership Lisandro Martinez and Raphaël Varane may also not feature, with both having been forced off in the second half of the Sevilla clash.

Scholes on United capitulation

United legend Scholes bemoaned the “complacency” shown by Ten Hag’s side and insisted the Old Trafford boss should have done more to prevent the game from slipping away from them.

Scholes told BT Sport after the game: “Great result for Sevilla. Man Utd were very quiet in the second half, they didn’t create any chances.

“Those subs weakened the team… you half-understand Anthony Martial, being fragile. But second half, United were really sloppy. If away goals were still around, United would face an uphill battle.

“You saw enough to see Sevilla aren’t great, but it’s gonna be difficult. United were too complacent, too confident that Sevilla weren’t great in that first half.

“United were playing so well and so confident – you’re thinking this is gonna be 3, 4, 5-0 and it’s gonna be tie over tonight. The second half was a complete disaster.

“Sir Alex Ferguson wouldn’t have allowed us to be complacent in the second half of a quarter-final. This is the time to win this game. You win it here tonight. That should be 3, 4, 5-0.

“Malacia really should have dealt with that first goal – he’s unaware of the danger – and from then on it was a really difficult night. From then on it goes from bad to worse… injuries, suspensions, then they get the second goal.

“We’ve just [they took their foot off the gas]. The manager should not let them take their foot off the gas in a big European quarter-final.”

Topics: Football, Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag, Paul Scholes, Sir Alex Ferguson, Sevilla

Chris Byfield

Sport journalist with experience writing on football, rugby, boxing and the Olympics. I'm also a Crystal Palace fan. Please don't hold this against me.