Paul Scholes has revealed which Manchester United star “worries him the most” after watching the Red Devils shine in pre-season.
The former Manchester United midfielder also added that he was “struggling to get excited about the 2024-25 campaign” despite United ending a largely disappointing season by winning the FA Cup.
United have slumped to their worst ever Premier League finish, recording their highest ever loss of 14 since their 1989-90 campaign under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Questions had been swirling around Erik ten Hag’s future as United manager, but Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his leadership group opted to keep the Dutch coach as United boss after conducting a review of the team’s performances.
Meanwhile, United have been looking to strengthen their squad ahead of next season and have already signed youngsters Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee.
Paul Scholes reveals who the Manchester United star is that “worries him a lot”
United have completed their pre-season tour of the United States and face Manchester City in the FA Community Shield on Saturday.
However, Scholes has revealed there is one player in the squad who needs to step up.
But it appears Ten Hag has more deals in mind, with United looking for a new midfielder to replace Scott McTominay, should he leave, while the club have also been linked with moves for Bayern Munich defenders Matthias de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.
Speaking to a special edition of The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, hosted by Sky BetScholes answered questions from football fans about the upcoming campaign.
“I’ve heard a lot of United fans say how excited they are for the new season… I’m struggling with that,” Scholes told the Fan Debate.
‘We were talking beforehand that the centre of the pitch was an area that was empty most of the time, with teams making their way through it throughout the day.
“I still think there are areas of the pitch that are a problem for United.”
The former midfielder, who scored 153 goals in 713 appearances for the Red Devils, subsequently identified the player he believes is a major concern for Manchester United.
‘You mentioned the young centre-back who’s coming in (Leny Yoro), yeah, great, he’s 18, (Lisandro) Martinez gets injured a lot. (Harry) Maguire got injured towards the end of the season. No (Victor) Lindelof. No (Raphael) Varane. Varane was fine, but he was injured all the time.’
‘But I still watch the goalkeeper (Andre Onana). The goalkeeper is a big concern for me. I still worry about the goalkeeper. I even watch a couple of pre-season games.
“I’m very worried about him,” Scholes added.
Scholes believes goalkeeper Andre Onana (pictured) is a “big concern” and the former United midfielder has taken stock of some of his pre-season performances.
Scholes (left) also added that he was not feeling as excited about the new season after United’s struggles in the Premier League during the 2023-24 campaign.
The Cameroonian joined Manchester United last summer in a £47m move from Inter Milan.
Onana was left embarrassed after conceding a goal from distance during his Old Trafford debut in 2023
Onana ran towards his goal but could not prevent the ball from entering the net.
Onana has not had the best of starts to his career at Old Trafford following his £47m move from Inter Milan.
The Cameroonian goalkeeper gradually came into his own at United as the season progressed, dazzling fans with some outstanding saves and leaving some supporters concerned about his abilities upon his arrival.
Onana was notably eluded during his Old Trafford debut last August in a pre-season friendly against Lens, with the 28-year-old caught off his line by Florian Sotoca.
Not long after, Onana again surprised on his Premier League debut against Wolves, being lucky to escape unscathed after colliding with Sasa Kalajdzic at Old Trafford.
While he kept nine clean sheets last season in the league, he struggled in the Champions League, most notably when he made a clumsy pass to Casemiro during his side’s game against Galatasaray, who would subsequently receive a red card and a penalty, trying to make up for the error.
Scholes also drew inspiration from United’s pre-season defeat to Liverpool, in which Onana conceded three goals, most notably deflecting a shot towards Kostas Tsimikas, who scored the third.
But speaking about what fans can expect from him during the upcoming season, the goalkeeper said fans should expect him to take risks.
“I think that’s what we’re going to see this season because I’m going to take a lot of risks,” he said during United’s pre-season tour of the United States.
Scholes pointed to United’s pre-season defeat to Liverpool as part of the reason he was so concerned.
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana collided with Wolves’ Sasa Kalajdzic during his Premier League debut
However, Onana has insisted he will take risks this season as he looks to help United succeed in the league.
‘I can tell you that now. Be prepared because it’s going to be this season, believe me. I’ll enjoy it even more when this season starts.
‘The best team in the world takes risks. It builds from the back, it recognises things, situations, when the opponent jumps one on one, or when it presses.’