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Paul Scholes says he has been "depressed for a couple of years" from watching Manchester United

Paul Scholes has been a vocal critic of Manchester United since the departure of Alex Ferguson, b...



Paul Scholes says he has been...
Soccer

Paul Scholes says he has been "depressed for a couple of years" from watching Manchester United

Paul Scholes has been a vocal critic of Manchester United since the departure of Alex Ferguson, but it looked as though he might be going a little bit easier on Mourinho this year.

The former Manchester United midfielder was willing to forgive the bumpy start to the season, noting that the Portuguese needed time to settle in and help the players to understand what he wants from them, but after a defeat to Fenerbahce on Thursday, he was in a particularly grumpy mood. 

Hitting out at the poor performance that saw his beloved Red Devils lose 2-1, Scholes said: "I've been depressed for a couple of years.  It doesn't matter anymore."

"I think there are three or four better teams in the Premier League," he added. "I think we know now that this team at this moment in time isn't capable of challenging for the league." 

While he noted that things can change over the course of the season, he added that "whatever United do in the next 18 months is a bonus, I think this team will be unrecognisable in two years."

For his part, Jose was also pretty critical of the team's performance as he hit out at the players in his post-match interview.

"Football is not just about quality, it's also about effort, commitment, it's about playing to the limits, giving everything. I think [Fenerbahce] deserved it. A team that concedes a goal after two minutes is a team that is not ready, a team that is not mentally prepared, not  focused, not concentrated. 

"In an atmosphere like this, to concede a goal and give the advantage to the opponent, then they are where they want to be. They defend, they counter attack, they stop the game, they simulate free kicks, they put pressure on the referee's decisions [...] but it's our fault that we let them be in that situation." 

"We didn't deserve more. Football is 90 minutes, and it has to be played to the maximum of your desire, your capacity, and your concentration. Our problems started with our overall attitude. Where they were playing the Champions League Final, we were playing a summer friendly. That is the reality of the way the game started." 

Rooney was once again pinpointed as having had a poor game after he showed the lack of sharpness that has dogged his season to date. In one instance, after a particularly poor piece of play, he was savaged by Fox Sports' commentary team, who noted: "That first touch is not good enough for the Europa League, the Premier League, or in MLS, for that matter."

For United, they have managed to get themselves a rather unwanted record, as they lost five consecutive away games in Europe for the first time in their history. 

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