Paul Scholes has taken aim at Manchester United's recruitment model, saying the Red Devils had a poor transfer window and that Erik ten Hag will eventually be blamed for it.
The Red Devils splashed a club-record amount of cash over the summer with new boss Ten Hag bringing in six new signings: Antony, Casemiro, Martin Dubravka, Christian Eriksen, Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martinez.
United started the season poorly, losing at home to Brighton on their opening day before being battered on the road by Brentford. Since then, though, Ten Hag has switched things up and the Red Devils have won their last four in the Premier League.
Ten Hag made the bold call to drop club captain Harry Maguire and play Martinez alongside Raphael Varane after the Brentford defeat - an inspired decision, with the duo striking up a strong partnership.
But despite the good feeling emanating from United for the first time in a while, club legend Scholes isn't entirely convinced with the Red Devils' project, hitting out at their business in their past two summer transfer windows.
Scholes, speaking on The Overlap, in partnership with Sky Bet, said: "Jadon Sancho was a young player who Manchester United spent a lot of money on, who was unproven in the league. And why would a club like Real Madrid let Varane go?
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"If you looked at him last season, he didn't look right. I didn't think it was a great transfer window. Nobody at the club is taking responsibility for it. This year, Casemiro was done over two days.
"I wonder if it was the manager's signing. A lot of money, a long contract. I think they need to put someone in charge of recruitment. Eventually, the manager will get blamed for it."
He added: "Louis Van Gaal joined Manchester United and wanted to play possession-based football, but United are not that. It was always about substance over style, scoring goals and making chances rather than a pretty end product.
"The crowd get nervous when the goalkeeper tries to play a ten-yard pass, that’s not a Manchester United philosophy, that’s Barcelona or Ajax. With Erik ten Hag, he’s stumbled across it.
"After the Brentford game, he realised he didn’t have the players to play that way, he knew he had to go more direct. Raphael Varane, great a player as he’s been, is not a great footballer.
"David De Gea is not a great footballer. So, play to your strengths, which for United is the attacking players, and you have to admire the new manager for playing that way [more direct]."
Ten Hag faces a stern test in the form of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City this weekend and will want to put down a solid marker against the champions.
