Ruud van Nistelrooy led Manchester United to their first Europa League win of the season, a 2-0 triumph over PAOK at Old Trafford tonight, and for Paul Scholes he has done enough to be the team’s permanent manager.
Speaking on TNT Sports after the game, Scholes was full of praise for the Dutch interim manager, stating categorically “I think he should be manager.”
“Just watching him in three games, he did well in Holland, he won the Dutch cup, he won other things, he just looks like he’s made to be a manager,” he continued.
“I think he’s better than being an assistant manager, I think he should be managing a club.”
Nevertheless, the United legend said he is “excited” for the arrival of Ruben Amorim, who will step into the hotseat on Monday, although neither Scholes nor fellow pundit Karen Carney thinks there will be an immediate fix.
Carney warned that “there may be a little bit more suffering” before the Portuguese can get the Red Devils up to speed and challenging for the top four, with Scholes adding that it “could take six weeks” before we even see Amorim’s style of play take hold.
United made heavy work of beating the Greek champions, grimly holding on to a 1-0 lead for nearly half an hour before Amad Diallo doubled the advantage and his personal tally with a wonderful effort from range to tie up the points.
The win leaves them 15th in the table, in the middle of the playoff places, and Amorim will still have plenty of work to do to take United through to the next round.
But despite shortcomings all over the pitch, Scholes did see some green shoots in the middle of the park: “Casemiro and [Manuel] Ugarte could be the start of something.
“Looking forward towards Amorim, it’s a partnership that could be good together. It allows Bruno a little bit more freedom up the top of the pitch.”
He also backed Rasmus Hojlund to replicate the goalscoring heroics of Sporting Lisbon’s free-scoring centre forward Viktor Gyökeres, who has been key to Amorim’s success in Portugal.
“I was a little bit disappointed in Hojlund [tonight], he had a tough night, a difficult night. I think he will improve, I think he will get better once he’s coached by a coach who will believe I him.
“I’m not saying Ruud doesn’t believe in him, but we’ve seen the effect that the centre forward has over in Sporting Lisbon and I think Hojlund is capable of that.”
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
Joe Ponting
Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.
