Paul Scholes 'baffled' comments suggest U-turn after naming Manchester United caretaker manager candidate

Mark Wakefield
·2-min read
Former Manchester United midfielder, Paul Scholes
Former Manchester United midfielder, Paul Scholes -Credit:BT Sport


Paul Scholes' recent comments about Manchester United's manager situation show that he may have changed his mind.

Erik ten Hag has been coming under increasing pressure as United manager throughout the season. Ten Hag is nearing the end of his second year in charge, but there is speculation that he could be replaced in the summer.

Gareth Southgate, Thomas Tuchel, Julian Nagelsmann, Zinedine Zidane, Roberto De Zerbi and Ruben Amorim are just some of the names to be linked with taking over in the Old Trafford dugout this summer. However, it remains to be seen if Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos Group will consider a change of manager in the next few weeks.

Scholes recently praised the work of United assistant manager Steve McClaren during his time as a player at Old Trafford. Scholes also suggested that McClaren's impressive coaching skills are not being utilised in the current set-up.

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"There is no way his fingerprints are anywhere near that team. No way. He is a brilliant, brilliant coach," said Scholes on McClaren earlier this week. "And that team is not being coached at all.

"Everyone thinks we were a great team that attacked everyone," Scholes added, reflecting on his time working with McClaren at United.

"But sometimes we played against better teams and Steve McClaren put [training] sessions on to make sure you stopped other teams, getting your distances right, the angles right, especially in centre midfield and all across midfield.

"He's [McClaren] got no impression on that team. The manager [Ten Hag] must not be letting him touch that team."

Scholes' comments come after he criticised United for previously appointing a caretaker manager with Ralf Rangnick back in 2022. Rangnick was expected to be taking on a consultancy role at Old Trafford but left in the summer of 2022 just weeks before Ten Hag's appointment.

United had appointed Rangnick as interim manager until the end of the 2021/22 season after the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. After a 4-1 defeat to Manchester City in March 2022, Scholes was critical of the club for appointing a caretaker manager.

“What do we expect? We’ve brought in an interim coach who hasn’t coached at an elite team," Scholes told Premier League Productions in March 2022.

“He [Rangnick] hasn’t coached a big team, he hasn’t coached at a big football club like United where there’s so much expected of Manchester United. Whoever you’re playing against, it doesn’t matter. He’s never been at a top club. He’s coached a club for two years out of the last 10 years.

“How have United behind the scenes come to the conclusion that this man is going to be the right man for six or seven months? It baffles me. The players are lost on the football pitch."

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