"Absolutely ridiculous" - Paul Scholes rips into 2 Manchester United stars for their performance against Brighton
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has lashed out at Fred and Scott McTominay for their torrid display against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday, August 7. The Red Devils lost 1-2 to the Seagulls at Old Trafford in their first match of the season, partly due to a lackluster performance by the midfield duo.
FT: Manchester United 1-2 Brighton
Rough start to the Erik ten Hag era 🤠https://t.co/7YBjS7WnSN
While Scholes did not hold back his annoyance at the entire team, he was particularly critical of Fred and McTominay. Speaking to Premier League productions (via Metro), the former midfielder explained:
"It was a shocking start for Man United and the first half was shambolic really. The signs were there right from the first few minutes that this was going to be bad. McTominay was always trying to run with the ball, ridiculous. The quality in the middle of the pitch was really poor.
"I was happy he didn’t get sent off [for a high challenge] but I think he was slightly lucky. Again, he’s running with the ball, absolutely ridiculous. It could easily have been a red card. The quality in the middle of the pitch was nowhere near good enough but we’ve seen that for the last few years with these two players."
He also sent a warning to new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag that playing the duo would cause problems for the Red Devils. Scholes said:
‘With Fred and McTominay, he [Ten Hag] is going to have to go with just one of them but even one of them is probably too many. Fred gives the ball away all the time and McTominay’s trying to run with the ball constantly and then gives it away. Pass it to your best players! It’s not that difficult. It’s criminal on a day like today."
Pascal Gross brace spoils Manchester United's plans
Ten Hag's time at Manchester United started in an unforgettable way as his side succumbed to a 1-2 loss against Brighton at Old Trafford. This was the second consecutive loss for the Red Devils against the Seagulls in the Premier League. United lost their last fixture 0-4 at the Amex Stadium in May 2022.
That's back-to-back losses against Brighton for Manchester United 💀 https://t.co/9MtZ4lM214
Despite controlling the bulk of the possession, Manchester United were able to do little with it, conceding a goal just half an hour into the match. German midfielder Pascal Gross found the back of the net in the 30th minute after an assist by former Red Devils striker Danny Welbeck.
Things went from bad to worse as Graham Potter’s men doubled their advantage at Old Trafford through the German midfielder just nine minutes later. David De Gea was unable to hold on to a Solly March shot and Gross lashed in the rebound to help the south coast side to a 2-0 lead.
Manchester United went into the break two goals down and the fans felt a familiar disappointment with proceedings. However, the Red Devils began a fight back in the second half and reduced the deficit by a goal with 21 minutes to go.
A Christian Eriksen corner drew an own goal from Alexis McAllister to make it 1-2 for the home side. However, Brighton were excellent at holding on to their slender lead until the final whistle.
Sunday's loss will be a wake-up call for Ten Hag, who will now have to return to the drawing board and reevaluate his options. United next face Brentford on August 13 at the Gtech Community Stadium.