1 week Ago By Vatsal Gupta
A lack of cutting edge was Manchester United’s undoing again as the derby against Man City ended in anti-climatic fashion. It was at least an improvement on the Nottingham Forest loss because City didn’t score either but that’s the sort of clutching at straws Ruben Amorim needs to do right now, The performance was decent and Man Utd did create some chances but outside of Bruno Fernandes, nobody looked really threatening. Amidst it all, Paul Scholes slammed two players under United contract who ‘threw the towel in’ and gave up when they could have made all the difference in the derby for United.
Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty ImagesPaul Scholes slams ‘unforgivable’ Man Utd duoOne would assume that Amorim is, by now, plenty used to ex-Man Utd players adding to the circus surrounding the club with their negative statements. However, this one statement by Paul Scholes will probably have him nodding in agreement because he’s just said what Amorim has probably been thinking for a long time. As United huffed and puffed in attacking areas, Alejandro Garnacho wasteful, Rasmus Hojlund ineffectual and the bench not much better, Scholes directed his ire towards two players still under contract by United but not here anymore.
He said the game was crying out for a moment of quality which could have been provided by the likes of Marcus Rashford or Jadon Sancho but they “gave up on a struggling team”. He said: “They’ve [Rashford and Sancho] thrown the towel in. That’s unforgivable.
They’re sulky, I didn’t like them [sort of players] when I was playing. When a new manager comes in, come on, the football club pays you so much money and you throw the towel in? “[Rashford] is now running around for Aston Villa. I still don’t think he’s been great, but that’s the type of thing United is missing.
The two of them gave up on a struggling team. That can’t be forgiven. Imagine those two players, full of quality, in this team.
It’s a shame.”Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho addition by subtractionScholes’ general sentiment is correct but, as he says himself, there should be no place for sulky players who harm the atmosphere around the dressing room. What he’s imagining is a version of Rashford and Sancho that’s happy and thriving, in which case they wouldn’t even be away from the club in the first place.
As it stands, their removal from Old Trafford is a case of addition by subtraction because they added to the circus surrounding the club, taking away from the footballing project. The need of the hour is to move forward now and look toward a brighter future instead of feeling nostalgic and remaining in a “what if?” mood, especially with Rashford and Sancho. They are symbols of the past when the professionalism standards were lower.
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