Paul Scholes has ripped into three Manchester United stars and claimed they are no longer up to Premier League level.
United have endured a difficult start to the campaign, winning just three of their seven league games, while they also crashed out of the Carabao Cup to League Two side Grimsby Town.
Several United stars have come under fire, and Scholes was the latest to stick the boot in as he took aim at Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Casemiro.
‘Shaw, Maguire, Casemiro, they’ve all been great players but they’re at a stage of their career now where you get found out in the Premier League if you’re not physically good enough,’ he told The Times.
‘Their bodies are not athletic enough, they’re not strong enough, they’re not quick enough. They’ve dropped to a level where they can’t cope with what’s needed in the Premier League.
‘Every player in the Premier League is an absolute machine. They’ve got five per cent body fat, they can run, they’re strong, they can head it.
Paul Scholes has claimed three Man United stars are no longer up to Premier League level
Scholes criticised Luke Shaw, Casemiro and Harry Maguire, with the trio all regulars in the team
‘Manchester United are carrying two or three players that are just not capable of living with it.’
The trio have been regulars so far this season and are among the more experienced squad members at Ruben Amorim’s disposal.
Shaw has started each Premier League game, Casemiro has missed just one through suspension, while Maguire has featured in seven of United’s eight matches in all competitions.
Recent reports have suggested Maguire is in talks over a new deal but Scholes’ comments suggest he doesn’t believe that is the right move.
He also spoke specifically on Casemiro who has largely underwhelmed since signing from Real Madrid for £70million three years ago.
Despite his struggles, the Brazilian – who arrived following a dismal start to the 2022-23 campaign – has established himself as part of Amorim’s first choice central midfield duo alongside Bruno Fernandes, and he is expected to start against Liverpool on Sunday.
‘We got sucked into that one,’ Scholes added of Casemiro’s move to the club. ‘And there’s been quite a few like that.’
Shaw has come under lots of criticism in recent times and he hit back at Roy Keane last month
United’s stars are no strangers to criticism from former players and pundits alike, but last month Shaw hit back at Roy Keane in the aftermath of the Manchester derby.
Following United’s 3-0 defeat Keane had said: ‘I think Shaw has been getting away with murder for years at United. Always injured, never quite fit and we make excuses for him. Then he gets a few games under his belt and he’s making decisions like he doesn’t want to tackle people.’
Asked about the Irishman’s comments after United bounced back to beat Chelsea 2-1 the following weekend, Shaw then said: ‘Of course it hurts. He’s got a lot of experience. He was one of the best captains ever for Man United.
‘Sometimes you just have to take it on the chin. I think criticism is part of being a football player. I listen to it. But for me, I think he was right. I think that last week, I wasn’t at my level at all.
‘I don’t need Roy Keane to tell me. After the game, I knew that. The most important thing is knowing how good I can be. The manager knows that. I think the managers who I played with in the past know that. I’m always in the team and I’m always playing, so there must be something that the managers believe in.
‘I’m not getting any younger now and I need to be consistent. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs, but for me now, it’s about keeping that consistency at a high level. Because I know I can do that.
‘I think that’s why last week hurt me a lot, because that’s not my level. And I think the criticism is what people understand. But like I said, I take it on the chin and listen to it and move on.’
