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24th Nov 2015

Paul Scholes isn’t happy with Bastian Schweinsteiger’s contribution at Manchester United

Simon Lloyd

His frank assessments of Louis van Gaal’s work at Old Trafford have generated enough headlines, and it now appears that Paul Scholes is shifting focus to one of Manchester United’s summer signings.

The former United midfielder believes that Bastian Schweinsteiger could offer more to the team.

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Since his arrival from Bayern Munich in the summer, the German has established himself as a regular starter for United, but Scholes still feels there’s room for improvement.

“You expect more from Schweinsteiger, a player who’s won the World Cup and the Champions League.

“The biggest art as a midfield player is to find space, not in your back four or left-back position, in the centre of the park where it’s most congested, and contribute to your forward players.

“There are too many passes before getting into the final third, which is why the forwards like Wayne Rooney have struggled. They don’t get the service.

“The two central midfielders play 10 yards behind the centre-halves and play easy passes.

“I don’t mind that, getting a bit of space if you’re going to play it forward or hit a long pass, but he takes too many touches and he’s constantly coming back inside.

“Schweinsteiger claps a backpass to the goalkeeper and he plays every week, so the manager must be happy with the way they play.”

Scholes’ assessment of Schweinsteiger’s tendency to take “too many touches” appears to support his earlier comments about Louis van Gaal’s slow build-up and obsession with possession.