Manchester United icon Paul Scholes has voiced his belief that the club mishandled their recruitment strategy during the recent transfer window and lack the caliber needed to execute manager Ruben Amorim’s demanding 3-4-3 system.
United have started their league campaign with only four points from four fixtures, their weakest opening since the 1992-93 season.
The club’s internal assessment concluded that bolstering the attack would deliver the best return on their spending. They invested £200m in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko, yet have managed just four league goals, two of them own goals.
Despite the criticism around Amorim – heightened after the 3-0 derby defeat to Manchester City – senior figures are still backing the Portuguese coach. They remain convinced he can revive the team in the long term and do not want to react impulsively to current results.
Scholes, however, fears the difficulties are rooted deeper and will be hard to fix quickly.
Midfield issues and recruitment missteps
“I don’t think the quality is there,” Scholes told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club.
“Whatever two out of Casemiro, Bruno [Fernandes], [Kobbie] Mainoo, or the others he picks, it just doesn’t work. That’s a major problem. I thought all summer they needed a center midfielder who can run, control the game, and link everything together.”
He also questioned the decision to stick with Andre Onana. “Goalkeeper was another big issue. Did they really need to reach the Grimsby match to realize Onana isn’t good enough? If they weren’t in for Gianluigi Donnarumma when he became available, that’s unbelievable.”
Scholes argued the club misjudged their priorities. “They focused on buying forwards. Yes, they needed some help up front, but three of them? I don’t think that was necessary.”
Pressure building on Amorim amid tough run
United face Chelsea at Old Trafford on Saturday, then visit Brentford – where they have shipped four goals on each of their last two trips – before matches against Sunderland and Liverpool at Anfield. A sudden upturn looks unlikely.
Scholes is not alone in doubting the current direction. Wayne Rooney has said the side has “got worse” under Amorim, who replaced Erik ten Hag last November.
“He can’t keep going like this,” Scholes said. “At some point he has to change something because what he’s doing now isn’t working. I like him, he seems likeable, but results show the reality. If they don’t improve, performances won’t matter – he has to start winning, or the pressure will become huge.”
After last season’s struggles, when United finished 15th and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham, Amorim worked to build a united dressing room. While a few players are uneasy about his refusal to adjust his system, there is no sign yet of major unrest.
Optimism around Amorim exists beyond Old Trafford. Joao Noronha Lopes, expected to win the Benfica presidential election on 25 October, is said to want him back at the club where he played 154 matches. Lopes attended the Manchester derby at the Etihad alongside Pedro Ferreira and Amorim’s close friend Nuno Gomes.
Asked about recruiting Amorim, Gomes told Portuguese media, “I can’t answer that question. Ruben Amorim is Manchester United’s coach. But I know he will manage Benfica one day.”
