PAUL SCHOLES HAS blasted the performance of Red Devils players in their Europa League win over Partizan, describing them as “a team of strangers”.
Anthony Martial’s penalty proved to be the only goal of an encounter in Serbia that ended a 232-streak without an away win but did little to calm worries over the state of play at Old Trafford.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s future continues to be the subject of intense speculation as United look to rescue what has already turned into their worst Premier League campaign of the modern era.
The visitors only mustered five shots at goal all game, while their hosts managed three times as many in a drab, disjointed performance that represented a step back following their battling draw with Liverpool at the weekend.
Speaking to BT Sport after the match, Scholes, who won 11 top-flight titles and two Champions League crowns during his on-field career, did not hold back in a withering assessment of United’s flow and play either.
“I think after the Liverpool game, there was a little bit of encouragement,” he stated. ”But then you come back to tonight and it seems very similar to the start of the season.
“It’s like a team of strangers, it’s like they’ve never played with each other before. There’s no link between the midfield players and the strikers. The weight of pass at times was so bad.
“You want to be encouraged you want to see some bits of good play now and again, a one-two here and there, the number 10 receiving the ball on the half turn, but there’s a lack of encouragement.
“I think defensively they were quite poor as well tonight,’ he added. “Second half there was only one team that looks like scoring. I don’t see anything. A lot of the games they’re going to have the ball but they have to be cleverer.”
United were missing several key faces including Paul Pogba and David de Gea in Serbia, with Harry Maguire handed the captain’s armband for the first time at the back in defence.
Teenager Brandon Williams meanwhile was one of the few positive influences on the game out wide on the left wing, while Marcus Rashford made a late cameo off the bench.
The Red Devils return to domestic action this weekend with a trip to Norwich City, before a Carabao Cup encounter with Chelsea next week.
On the latest episode of The42 Rugby Weekly, Andy Dunne tells Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey about where it all went wrong for Joe Schmidt’s Ireland
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Cmon the cats!!! The cream always rises
Great great win fair play to management made the changes when required.
TJ just fantastic.
As a KK man I didn’t see that happening. That soft 21m goal put a shine on the score. The young lads in KK a really after cutting their teeth in the league. It’s a joy to watch these 2 teams playing each other. Pure hurling.
@Jason Pierce: No bullshit and players thinking they are prima donnas deserving this that and the other under Cody.
Hurling skills exceptionally well imparted and your name or club mean nothing it’s all about the end goal All Ireland medals In Kilkenny. No sulking no county boards run by old dinosaurs and county secretary’s picking teams.
In short hats off to Cody and his players magnificent ambassadors for a simple game – players die with their boots on in other counties they want you to tie their laces
Tipp didn’t play at all in second half.
Rumours of Kilkenny’s demise greatly exaggerated
Still need a full back Padraig Walsh playing full back like a wing back, caught bad the last two games for two goals.
Unfair on him as he’s a class wing back.
Looking forward to a good battle here. I think Tipp will shade it with stronger panel but it is at Nowlan Park .
@Finnster: :)
C’mon Tipp!!!
That’s the young lads bedded in nicely, Cody rebuilding what could be a very good team
Plenty comments bout Kilkenny being a 1 man team relying on TJ but wot bout tipp Jason Forde got 2-12 & not a word bout it…..
@Ray Power: Ssssssh Ray sure if some folk can’t see a past that their better off, we all know Tipp would be fine without J Forde same as Cork without P Horgan Galway without Joe Waterford without P o Mahoney I could go on but yah know yourself lad tis all KKs fault.
@Dae Monicus: dats a fact
@Ray Power: An sure here’s another one lad KK are a one manager team! 20 national titles in twenty years with many different groups of players, like him or not that speaks for itself.
The Tipp bench should have a big say in the result.Tipp Abu
Great camogie coverage there. Don’t miss a beat.
Kilkenny relying on frees again, but in fairness to them they win an incredible amount if them and have done all league.
@James Doyle: really ? That all you got ?
Not a great game, KK would be lost without TJ Reid he is the glue keeping it together throughout the league . Also some playacting from both sides to get frees.
@Finnster: ya there fair reliant on tj both sides missing a few but without Reid kilkenny pretty average
@Back pass: Jason forde scored 2 12 of Tipp’s tally, would u not think that there screwed without him!???
@Back pass: Yeah, an average young team, beating a seasoned tipp team. Pretty average league champions.
@Finnster: lost all right…another piece of silverware though…Tipp were beaten all over in the second half. Crying the cats won again ?
@Finnster: and without Jason Forde Tipp brutal not up for the fight for a National title. Forde 2.12 only man that stood up. Tipp full back line big problem area. Fix quick or dry year again.
@Aidan Maher: in all fairness Finnster talks through his are. 18 from Forde and Kilkenny are a one man team.
What are tipp at? Ryan has lost the plot. We barely beat Limerick with the same tactic of high balls into the t-rex forward line. If they were in Africa at the height of the Ebola outbreak they still wouldn’t have caught any thing. Well done TJ Reid and your 14 apostles.
Hope Tipp stuff kk
Now it’s getting lively . Why can’t Tipp put Kilkenny to the sword ? On paper Tipp are by far a better team
@Finnster: there was never a game won on paper
@Finnster: because they are heartless.they are not called one in a row for nothing.
@Finnster: its called balls
I’ll take that Good game, fair play to Tipp tis early days but their a serious outfit who will I reckon be one side in the final later in the year, some good performances from KK time to crack open the suds.
Well done Kilkenny but the long grass awaits
Neither team imposing themselves,but still think Tipp will prevail
@Michael Sage: completely wrong there my friend no full back line and big questions now heading into the summer
Come on Tipp