Paul Scholes reveals theory on what three Man Utd stars were discussing behind Erik ten Hag’s back
Has ten Hag lost his players?
Paul Scholes believes Manchester United players were privately questioning Erik ten Hag’s tactics in the post-match exchange involving Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Antony at Crystal Palace.
United turned in another woeful display as Palace eased to a 4-0 win on Monday night to pile more pressure on ten Hag.
After the full-time whistle, cameras picked up Mount and Antony, both substituted in the second-half, deep in discussion, covering their mouths with their hand as they left the pitch with goalkeeper Onana coming over to join them.
Antony was seen gesturing with three fingers to Mount during the exchange which infuriated Jamie Carragher who speculated the Brazilian was talking about ‘one of the other players, the set-up or the manager’.
Former United star Scholes was another not impressed with those post-match scenes, insisting the discussion involving those three players ‘did not look good’.
The club legend was none the wiser as to what the players were discussing but suggested Antony’s gesture could have indicated a problem with how United had lined up in midfield with Kobbie Mainoo and Christian Eriksen constantly outnumbered and outfought.
‘He has three fingers up there, I don’t know what that means. He is saying something to Mason Mount he is obviously not happy with. Mason Mount seems the quietest out of the three of them,’ Scholes told Optus Sports while viewing the incident back.
‘What’s that going to do, I didn’t see any of them communicating on the football pitch. That doesn’t look good. I don’t think that’s good for the manager.
‘People are obviously talking and saying things he [Antony] doesn’t agree with. When he’s putting those three fingers up, maybe he’s saying we should be having three in midfield, why don’t we have three there?
‘I don’t know, we have no idea because we can’t lip read. But there is obviously a problem there and they obviously disagree with something the manager is doing.’
Scholes added: ‘They [the players] were given instructions and they didn’t follow them. I think that was mainly the midfield two. What can you do about that? When your players aren’t following your instructions you have to take responsibility.
‘It’s a worry he is asking players to do something and they are not doing it.’
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