“Don’t care about defending”: Paul Scholes names two lazy players he hated playing with at United

Manchester United’s legendary midfielder Paul Scholes has claimed that he hated playing with Anderson and Juan Sebastian Veron in the centre of the United midfield.

Scholes is one of the club’s most successful players and made an outstanding 718 appearances for the Red Devils.

He not only scored 155 goals from midfield but also contributed to numerous trophy wins.

The 50 year old is one of the club’s most decorated ever players, winning 11 Premier League titles, three FA Cups and two Champions Leagues.

Nonetheless, in a recent appearance on Sky Sports The Overlap Extra (via GIVEMESPORT) he highlighted two midfield partners that he hated playing with.

“Yeah. Me and Veron were a disaster,” he said.

“I think me and Anderson did it once. Just, no, it’s not working, is it?

“Just two lads who don’t care about defending, don’t know the [defensive] position that well.”

Despite admitting that the two players had talent, especially Veron, Scholes said the team never really felt balanced when he started alongside either of those two players.

When pressed on who brought out the best in him, he was clear in his response.

“But it worked better with a Michael (Carrick) or a Roy (Keane) or a Nicky (Butt). They were brilliant playing that position.”

Scholes humbly claimed that he himself needed protection in midfield as he often struggled with the nuances of the defensive side of the midfield battle. “I didn’t know the position that well. I didn’t play in the position that well, as you know.”

Veron would only last a couple of seasons at Old Trafford but Anderson would play 181 times for the club over eight seasons, winning numerous trophies including the Champions League in 2008.


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Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Proud owner of such niche shirts such as Kleberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Gary Neville. Grew up pretending to be Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the back garden, with little success.

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