Paul Scholes refused to get carried away with Manchester United’s comeback win against Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
He insisted that they would have been “absolutely destroyed” by a top European team.
Former United midfielder Scholes, who won 20 major titles with the club during his incredible career at Old Trafford, knows a thing or two about beating the best teams in Europe and he sounded specifically worried about Sunday’s upcoming clash with rivals Liverpool in the Premier League.
That will be a real test.
The 46-year-old expressed his views on United at half-time on BT Sport – taking aim at the double pivot consisting of Scott McTominay and Fred – and he wasn’t the only one miffed after the 45 minute mark because a small section of United fans booed the HT whistle.
Scholes said: “Ole said before the game it was 4-2-4. I don’t care who those two players in the middle (are), when you are playing against a good European team, you are going to get absolutely destroyed.
"Go and do that against Liverpool on Sunday, see what happens."
"Imagine Jurgen Klopp watching that at home, rubbing his hands together."
Paul Scholes won't let a late Ronaldo winner paper over the cracks of that first-half performance from Man Utd.#UCL pic.twitter.com/Dzt9FEC67v
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) October 20, 2021
“Neither wide player is running back, Bruno Fernandes is making the odd effort to get back in and help them, but they will get destroyed.
“If Manchester United were playing a really good team, we could be looking at four or five.
“The first half really worried me. I looked at that thinking about Liverpool on Sunday – thinking about Manchester City. In that first half United were all over the place and disjointed. Do that against Liverpool or Manchester City and it’s three or four nil at half time and you are out of the game, there’s no coming back.
“It was great fighting spirit but they still conceded so many chances. Everyone will get carried away with this euphoria now but will he play like that against Liverpool on Sunday?
“It was that brilliant, it was that good and everyone is smiling and everyone is happy. Go and do that against Liverpool and see what happens. Imagine Jurgen Klopp watching that first half at home, he’ll be rubbing his hands together.”
Utd fans getting carried away & slsgging off Scholes for being miserable. OK good character & come back but that was a team we should have easily beaten. If we do it again against the vermin then I'll enjoy the moment but against Atalanta, I expect better.
— Paul Williams (@CheshireRed68) October 21, 2021
But United bounced back with a stunning second half performance. It was all go as we were trailing 2-0 and goals from Marcus Rashford, Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo swung the result Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s way.
