Scholes: Failure has become 'acceptable' at Manchester United and defeats don't 'hurt' players

Paul Scholes says failure has become "acceptable" at Manchester United and defeats do not "hurt" enough players at Old Trafford.

Another route to major silverware for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side was shut off in the 2021 Europa League final, with Villarreal holding their nerve in the penalty shootout as David de Gea missed the decisive spot-kick.

United's wait for tangible success now extends into a fifth year, with semi-final setbacks and runner-up finishes becoming the norm.

What has been said?

Scholes, who claimed 25 trophies during his playing days at Old Trafford, told BT Sport after another near miss for United's class of 2020-21: "It’s almost become an accepted thing. From Ole’s point of view, where’s the demands on him?

"I don’t think they’ll be saying you have to win a trophy or you’re gone. He’s made progress, which is progress from the last three or four years, but if you go back further, then clearly not because this club expects to win trophies.

"For now, I don’t think those demands are quite there on him where he has to win. I think there’s a lot of players it doesn’t really hurt."

Scholes added: "You look at Bruno Fernandes, [Edinson] Cavani, people who have great experience, they won’t like it, of course they won’t. They’re the ones that look to me as if they’re proper hurting. The others, sometimes it can look a little bit acceptable.

"Even from the manager sometimes it looks a little bit acceptable. United have almost become a nice club that people like."

What can be done?

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With another season over for United, future planning can now begin in earnest.

Opportunities to add will present themselves during the summer transfer window, with the general consensus being that the Red Devils are at least two players short of challenging for the Premier League title.

Scholes wants to see more bodies brought on board, with the ex-England captain saying a lack of squad depth is making life difficult for Solskjaer.

He said: "That’s why they’re in the position. This squad isn’t big enough. You look at Manchester City, they’ve got two teams, two teams that can win a league.

"I think United have 11 or 12 players capable of winning the league, but they need more than that, you need 17 or 18, especially in this day and age."

Further reading

• Solskjaer explains 100-minute wait for substitutions
• Rashford says 'at least 70 racial slurs' sent to him on social media
• Alberto Moreno taunts Manchester United with Liverpool song