08 April 2023 , 16:50
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Paul Scholes has warned Erik ten Hag that he and his squad will have to get used to a relentless fixture schedule if Manchester United are to start winning trophies on a regular basis again.
Ten Hag saw his side canter to a 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday afternoon, but the result was soured by an injury to Marcus Rashford, who limped off the pitch with what appeared to be a groin issue in the final minutes of the match.
Reacting to Rashford's setback after the game, the Dutchman furiously tore into the Premier League over the congested schedule. He told BT Sport: "We have to wait [on Rashford's injury], it doesn't look good. Once again it's due to the schedule, you can't play three games in six days. We have to protect our players.
"Everyone wants the best players on the pitch, everyone wants to see great entertaining football like today. But you need your best players. It's a win and we have to move on."
United's fixture against the Toffees, which was Saturday's lunchtime kick-off, came hot on the heels of their slender 1-0 win over Brentford on Wednesday night: a fairly swift turnaround.
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But Scholes, who won 11 Premier League titles during his Old Trafford playing days, hit back at Ten Hag following his outburst and insisted that any club who have aspirations to be successful will always have to negotiate a heavy schedule.
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Paul Scholes has hit back at Erik ten Hag's comments on Manchester United's packed fixture list (BT Sport)The former midfielder, who was analysing the game for BT Sport, said: "If you want to be winning trophies you’re gonna be playing games, and they’re gonna have to be ready for that. He doesn’t really use his squad that much but over the last couple of weeks especially he’s starting to realise that he needs it.
"Today they freshened up three or four positions and they looked really sharp again. There’s a lot of games to go yet we want games, we want to be getting to finals of competitions - that’s what we’re in this business for, that’s what Manchester United are here for. They want to win trophies and for this year settling for a top four place is good enough."
The result keeps United on track for a top-four finish which would herald a return to the Champions League after the club missed out on European qualification last term.
Ten Hag's side - who ended a six-year trophy drought by winning the Carabao Cup back in February - are also in the quarter-finals of the Europa League and face Sevilla in the first leg of their tie on Thursday night.