Manchester United legend Paul Scholes slammed his former side’s short corner routines during their win over Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup. Erik ten Hag’s team ground out a 2-0 win at the DW Stadium to ensure safe passage to the fourth round and march on in their quest to avenge last season’s defeat to Manchester City in the final.
Diogo Dalot put United in front on Monday night with a slotted finish into the far corner. Wigan rallied but were unable to stem a barrage of shots from the Premier League visitors – 33 in total – and Bruno Fernandes added a second from the spot with 20 minutes to play.
It was an important result for manager Ten Hag, who came into the clash having overseen a dismal run of one win in six games. Replicating last season’s deep FA Cup run could help ease the pressure on his shoulders and distract from what’s been a turbulent Premier League campaign.
The performance didn’t leave everyone convinced, however, and Scholes was among those to take aim specifically at United’s lack of potency from corners.
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Keeping his message short and sweet, the former Red Devils midfield maestro posted on an Instagram story: “Short corners are s***.” United failed to make the most of towering defenders Jonny Evans and Raphael Varane against their third-tier opponents.
Marcus Rashford and Fernandes tried in vain to manufacture opportunities by playing short corners, and many are keen for Ten Hag to work on more effective routines in an attempt to remedy his side’s fundamental lack of goals this campaign.
Only Burnley and Sheffield United – sitting 19th and 20th respectively – have notched fewer than United’s 22 Premier League goals so far in 2023/24. The Red Devils will get another chance to build confidence in the fourth round, where they will face either Newport County or Eastleigh on the weekend of January 27.
Scholes’ fellow United legend, Roy Keane, is hoping to see his former side develop some form of on-field identity between now and then. “I think that’s the problem with United, you know what you’re going to get when you turn up,” he told ITV.
“The manager there mentions the ‘project’ – it probably means he’ll be gone in the next few months. This dreaded word ‘project’. No, I didn’t see it tonight with United and I’ve not seen it for the last few months.
“But, again, they’re in the next round and it’s an easy draw the next time round, but you need a better level of performance. And the chances they made tonight, you always expect more.”
