Paul Scholes left Manchester United after the same season as Sir Alex Ferguson had his exit. He was as vital for this team as N’Golo Kantè has been for Leicester City and Chelsea. To see Marouane Fellaini as the only signing that summer made it look a berserk idea.
The fact that you also had and aging group of players and not the ideal mix in age made it a difficult task to keep this project rolling, and with a very strong mind on most, not easy at all.
Manchester United has not either been on the top shelf when they have signed and sold players you wonder how they have analyzed the situation and done their homework. A development of a football team is based on two criteria, system and players.
You decide either on a player group, going for the system that suits you the strongest or you try build the system and slot in players that are perfect for such a system. Sir Alex Ferguson had his 4-4-2 and slotted in players as he felt it was possible.
This was the unique way to rotate his players as all of them were known and drilled in the system and knew what to do when they were fielded, they didn’t have to play another role than what they were used to.
Nobby Stiles was a vital key in the setup under Sir Matt Busby, he also won the World Cup with England, being that perfect man in midfield that stopped every attempt from the opposition and took those unpopular runs, bad and ugly tackles when needed and just fought in 90 minutes to carve out results for his manager.
Paul Scholes is a similar character and in between those two you had Paul Ince, who also became vital, but not as perfect as Scholes and Stiles who had the ability to just tackle and push the ball in the right direction.
After Scholes left and also after Stiles, Manchester United were in heavy decline, because that fighter, warrior never say day type of midfielder was and is not present. I the game of today you have of course N’Golo Kantè who is a perfect player alongside Paul Pogba, and you have of course players such as Luca Modric and Arturo Vidal who are similar.
The problem at Man Utd now and not just under OGS, is that a “Scholes” type of player is missing and without it this club will go nowhere. It’s really strange that a club with so much financial muscles are not able to attract the best players.
Jose Mourinho wasn’t allowed to use £40million on Harry Maguire last summer, instead thay used £80million now, but with the alse of Romelu Lukaku you are almost even, so it’s a big riddle this transfer policy.
They kept Phil. Jones and Chris Smalling, bought Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof and Marcus Rojo, let Michael Keane and Jonny Evans leave, strange and wrong use of money and bad judgement on players.
Virgil Van Dijk and John Stones are defenders that they couldn’t get their hands on and other players have in this period of time managed to progress with Man Utd players looking to have taken steps in the wrong direction.
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