Paul Scholes slams Manchester United: 'When you have an average team, you get average results'

Former Old Trafford great pours scorn on the Champions League exit following the defeat to Wolfsburg

(BT Sport)

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has heavily criticised Louis van Gaal’s team after the 3-2 defeat to Wolfsburg in the Champions League condemned them to the Europa League.

Anthony Martial’s first goal in over 11 hours of football and Josuha Guilavogui’s second-half own goal gave the English side hope but a Naldo double and Vieirinha's 29th minute strike settled the match.

Discussing the result with fellow members of the Old Trafford alumni - Rio Ferdinand and Michael Owen - Scholes bemoaned the lack of urgency on show under the Dutch manager.

“The home game against PSV was the killer,” said the 41-year-old. “You go to Wolfsburg and you see how much there are trying to score goals. In the last half an hour of that PSV game there was no urgency, no threat.

“United just look an average team. With an average team you get average performances.”

Scholes, who won 11 Premier League titles and enjoyed two Champions League triumphs under Sir Alex Ferguson, later turned his attention on Van Gaal’s refusal to sign a striker with ‘killer instinct’.

“When you're relying on a 20-year-old kid to scoring a goal, it's just not right,” he added.

“There should be proven goalscorers there. As we seen at the start of the season, proven goalscorers have left the club. That's where they've failed, there's no real killer instinct.

“I'm sure Martial will be a brilliant player, the only thing he lacks is that killer instinct. I'm sure that will come over years to come but United should not be relying on a 20-year-old kid - especially when you've spent £250m.”