- Questions have been rising over Erik ten Hag’s coaching methods at Man United
- Roy Keane and Rio Ferdinand blasted United’s performance against Liverpool
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Paul Scholes has blasted star Manchester United duo Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho for wearing their hoods up during a rainy training session at Carrington.
The Red Devils are enduring a tumultuous season, with questions looming over under-fire manager Erik ten Hag’s coaching ethos, amid an injury ravaged campaign that has seen them crash out of Europe and drop to eighth in the Premier League.
With concerns rising that United could miss out on qualifying for the Champions League too, Ten Hag’s future as Man United boss is looking uncertain, with speculation growing that new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe could move him on in the summer.
Scholes, who also hasn’t pulled punches when it’s come to criticing his former side this season, has now expressed his despair at his club’s slipping ‘standards’ on social media after United posted a picture of Mainoo and Garnacho training on Instagram.
The former midfielder reposted the image onto his story, with a caption that read: ‘Don’t mind hats and gloves but no way can you train properly with your hood up… standards begin on the training pitch… bye!’
United finished third in the top-flight last season and won the EFL Cup in Ten Hag’s first season in charge, and while they are still in the FA Cup, they have seemingly not built on that momentum. That has caught the scrutiny of several of the club’s ex-players including the Scholes.
The 49-year-old, who worked under the more-traditional coaching methods of Sir Alex Ferguson, belives INEOS and Ratcliffe will look to replace the Dutchman in the summer.
‘What we’re seeing is a million miles away from a team that should be challenging for the league,’ he told Premier League Productions in March. ‘Every single season it’s just so far away.
‘I think they [INEOS] have already made their mind up. I don’t think he will be there next season. No.
‘From the interviews we’ve heard with Sir Jim, I thought there was a little bit of negativity towards the club the last 10 or 11 years and especially the last two years. I don’t think he’s happy with what’s going on.
‘I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re looking for a new manager now. I’m not saying it’s the right decision.’
United’s 2-2 draw against Liverpool on Sunday caught much scrutiny from others including Roy Keane and Rio Ferdinand, who hit out at the team’s ‘kamikaze’ tactics.
Keane likened their performance during Sunday’s match to a ‘mid-table team’ before raising eyebrows over Ten Hag’s positive demeanour during his post-match interview.
The former United captain told Sky Sports: ‘Listen, obviously he’s had a couple of glasses of wine after the game.
‘I don’t know how strong that is, but he seemed really upbeat, and I admire him for that, because he’s obviously seen something that I’m not seeing at this moment in time.’
He added: ‘The way Man United are playing is like a mid-table team, a small club, you don’t know what you’re going to get.’
Ferdinand, meanwhile, believed that some of the side’s ‘worst traits’ were becoming more apparent under the Dutch manager.
‘For the life of me I give him the benefit of the doubt every time and am looking at him thinking every time “what is it”?
‘I said yesterday [Sunday] after the game if kamikaze, open sesame, no control of the game football is what we’re looking for, he has it nailed on and is doing a great job at it because that’s what we’re playing.
‘You can put that down to injuries, we have a load of injuries but a lot of team have injuries and they still play a style of football they are trying to achieve. I don’t think Ten Hag’s style is this kamikaze chaos football,’ he added.
Despite that, Mainoo, 18, is enjoying an outstanding breakout season for the Red Devils, having recently made his first senior debut for England and scoring his first goal at Old Trafford during Sunday’s draw against Liverpool.
Garnacho failed to get on the scoresheet during that game but did score twice during United’s 4-3 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last week, bringing his tally for the season up to nine goals in all competitions so far this season.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
