Paul Scholes insists Manchester United must improve their performances under Louis van Gaal and says their return of 13 points from the first 10 games of the season is “not good enough”.
United face Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Saturday having made their worst start to the new season since 1986. Writing in his column in the Independent on Friday, former midfielder Scholes admitted that the narrow defeat in the Manchester derby last weekend was below the standards expected.
“The scoreline against City might have been more respectable than last season but the performance in the first hour of the game was very poor indeed,” said Scholes.
“This is Manchester United. It is simply not good enough to play well for 20 minutes and lose.
“Louis van Gaal talks about progress. I expected United to have a better record by this stage of the season.
“Under David Moyes last season United had 17 points from their first 10 games. This time, having spent £150m in the summer, they have 13 points from 10 games.”
Scholes added: “My concern is that the mood among the United players feels a bit low-key. It feels downbeat among the team. All this, and yet the third and fourth places – with respect to the likes of Southampton and West Ham – really are there for the taking.”
