Paul Scholes Slams Manchester United Performance Despite Win Against Southampton

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has slammed his former club’s performance in their 3-1 victory over Southampton, insisting they were “as bad as you’ll see” for 80 minutes.

Despite a late comeback, powered by a stunning 12-minute hat-trick from Amad Diallo, Scholes believes the Red Devils must take a “long hard look” at themselves.

Manchester United’s Struggles at Old Trafford

Manchester United’s lacklustre display at Old Trafford on Thursday night saw them outplayed for large periods by Southampton, who sit bottom of the Premier League table.

The Saints controlled the game for much of the contest, exposing United’s defensive frailties and lack of attacking creativity, with Kamaldeen Sulemana and Tyler Dibling particularly impressing.

Southampton broke the deadlock just before halftime when Manuel Ugarte inadvertently turned a corner into his own net, marking the visitors’ first goal from a set-piece all season.

The lead could have been extended early in the second half, but Matthijs de Ligt made a crucial block to deny Sulemana from close range.

Amad Diallo is the first player to score a Premier League hat-trick for Manchester United since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2022 📈 pic.twitter.com/VEAB3tB7BT

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 16, 2025

Scholes: “Southampton Were on a Different Level”

Scholes, analysing the match on TNT Sports, was clear in his criticism. “For 80 minutes, that’s as bad a performance as you’ll see, especially against a team who were bottom of the league,” Scholes said.

“For 80 minutes, Southampton were so much better than Manchester United – ing the ball, technically, tactically.”

He singled out Amad Diallo as the only positive from the game, saying, “Amad is the only one who can take credit out of this game tonight. The rest of the players need to take a long, hard look at themselves.”

Scholes also questioned United’s attacking play, particularly the performance of striker Rasmus Hojlund.

“The control when it came into Rasmus Hojlund was so poor at times, he kept giving it back to them,” Scholes remarked. “Southampton were on a different level.”

"Today was not a lack of enthusiasm. It was a lack of speed and sometimes a lack of control of the game"

Amorim gives his assessment on Man United's enthusiasm to play 💬

🎙@lynseyhipgrave1 | 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/LDMf4EFNTE

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 16, 2025

Southampton Manager Ivan Juric Left Furious

Southampton boss Ivan Juric was visibly frustrated after the match, lamenting his team’s inability to see out the game.

“Much better than Manchester United for most of the game, last 15 minutes we were like innocent kids,” Juric said. “Not good mentality.

“To win this game, you can’t play for 75 minutes. For the last 15 minutes, you have to be more malicious, more evil to win the game.”

United manager Ruben Amorim will be relieved by the three points but will undoubtedly share Scholes’ concerns. If performances like this continue, United’s aspirations of climbing the table could be in jeopardy