Paul Scholes claims two Man Utd stars ‘not great footballers’

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Manchester United icon Paul Scholes has singled out Raphael Varane and David de Gea as not being “great footballers”. The former England midfielder believes neither of the Red Devils duo are good with the ball at their feet. 

Scholes has urged head coach Erik ten Hag to continue with the more direct style of football that had brought successful results prior to the international break. The Dutch boss had initially started the season with a possession-based system but reverted after defeats by Brighton and Brentford. 

Counter-attacking performances have seen United win their last four Premier League games, including successes against Liverpool and Arsenal. They travel to rivals Manchester City on Sunday in good form. 

Scholes believes that Ten Hag must stick with a more direct system, and singled out Varane and De Gea as reasons why. “Louis Van Gaal joined Manchester United and wanted to play possession-based football, but United are not that. It was always about substance over style, scoring goals and making chances rather than a pretty end product,” Scholes told former team-mate Gary Neville on The Overlap.

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“The crowd get nervous when the goalkeeper tries to play a ten-yard pass. That’s not a Manchester United philosophy, that’s Barcelona or Ajax. With Erik ten Hag, he’s stumbled across it.

“After the Brentford game, he realised he didn’t have the players to play that way. He knew he had to go more direct. Raphael Varane, as great a player as he’s been, is not a great footballer. David De Gea is not a great footballer. So, play to your strengths, which for United is the attacking players, and you have to admire the new manager for playing that way [more direct].” 

World-class shot-stopper De Gea has been frequently criticised for his ball-playing abilities during his career. The Spaniard has rarely seemed comfortable playing in teams that like to dominate possession.

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That has seen him struggle to win regular caps with Spain, while United are said to be looking to sign a new first-choice goalkeeper soon. Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak has been widely linked with a January move to Old Trafford. 

According to ESPN, the maligned club captain Harry Maguire has privately blamed De Gea for his poor form. The England defender believes the 31-year-old’s kicking ability and perceived poor communication have contributed to his downfall since his £80m transfer from Leicester. 

De Gea is in line to start Sunday’s Manchester derby despite criticism of his performances. 

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