Overview
- Manchester United drew 1-1 with Tottenham on Saturday after Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off and Dominic Solanke scored a stoppage-time equaliser from a Sandro Tonali cross.
- On Tuesday Paul Scholes told The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast that United will “never ever” win the Premier League with the present centre-back pairing and called Lisandro Martinez’s late mistake “criminal.”
- Scholes said the problem is partly physical, arguing United ‘don’t look fit enough,’ and he questioned recent recruitment choices, naming missed targets such as Elliot Anderson and underused signings like Andrey Santos and Baleba.
- He also criticised midfield balance, saying Youri Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo are too similar to play together, and warned that the defensive errors have increased pressure on caretaker manager Michael Carrick ahead of fixtures including Atlético Madrid and Leeds.
- The draw leaves United with their worst start to a season in 40 years and, according to pundits, has intensified calls for a new centre-back or an overhaul of the back line to make the squad competitive.