The former Red Devils star feels the struggles currently being endured by a Chilean forward at Old Trafford could have been avoided
Alexis Sanchez was “never really needed” by Manchester United, says Paul Scholes, with the Chilean now looking lost at Old Trafford.
Jose Mourinho moved to land a proven performer during the January transfer window as his contract at Arsenal ran down.
Rival interest from Manchester City was fended off in order to sign the 29-year-old, with his arrival considered to be quite a coup for the Red Devils.
Sanchez has, however, struggled to produce anything close to his best during a disappointing spell and is now seeing his value to the cause queried.
Scholes hopes the South American will come good in time but has questioned why he was acquired in the first place, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: “It’s really tough. We all know the qualities he’s got, he’s shown them at Arsenal, he’s shown them at Barcelona.
“It just hasn’t happened for him for one reason or another – why? I don’t know. I don’t know what he’s doing in training or behind the scenes. We just don’t know.
“It was a signing at the time that I never thought we really needed; I thought the position was covered in Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford.
“Obviously, I thought he would bring quality to the squad. He hasn’t performed yet. Whether he’s fallen out with the manager – I don’t know. He looks like he’s trying.
“When you’re on a bad run of form, your confidence just goes. There are times when you just don’t want to play and you feel like you can’t kick a ball 10 yards to another player.
“I just hope he gets a chance to show his qualities because we know he has them.”
Sanchez has managed just three goals in 24 appearances for United, with his account yet to be opened for the 2018-19 campaign.
He will get one more chance to find the target before domestic action closes down for the next international break, with under-fire Mourinho set to welcome Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle to Old Trafford on Saturday.
Nuccdkps
238
Sanchez was already on his way down the season before he signed for utd. you could see disinterest and a lack of effort a times in his game down to his frustration of doing it all by himself for many years with nothing to show for it. I think he has lost interest in the game, but he still got bills to pay.
QueriisFiasi
215
This is the moment that Jose Mourinho was supposed to have one of the most fearsome attacks in Europe. Guardiola saw it coming and played a great move by pretending to pursue Sanchez, a player he obviously didnt rate while at Barca. Pep wanted to prevent that...and Mou played right in his hand by playing the move Pep anticipated he would by signing Sanchez. This disrupted the progress of the then blossoming attacking prowess of Martial, Rashford, Lingard and Lukaku. Their disillusionment simmered down to the whole squad, disrupting the chemistry. And the fact that Sanchez never even performed well enough to earn the ridiculous amount of playing time he was getting worsened matters. Mourinho and Woodward must face the music together as they both were too blind to see this coming. They should learn to plan how they assemble the squad and not to sign any player that becomes available.
oscillate
215
Greedy , Money grabbing , Judas best thing we did getting rid of him at Arsenal and Utd should do the same
Elsa98
123
Because of this.[Sadtolook][Sadtolook]