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Paul Scholes’ criticism of David de Gea branded ‘harsh’ by Tony Cascarino, who claims ‘poor’ full-backs are to blame for Manchester United’s disappointing performances
Tony Cascarino branded Paul Scholes' criticism of David de Gea 'harsh' after the Manchester United goalkeeper was accused of 'bottling' a challenge as RB Leipzig beat the Red Devils 3-2.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side crashed out of the Champions League on Tuesday evening as the Bundesliga side held on to claim their win and send the Red Devils into the Europa League.
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The Germans raced to a 2-0 lead and added a third in the second half before United staged a late comeback but ultimately failed to equalise to rescue their Champions League future.
De Gea looked to be at fault for Leipzig's third goal as Justin Kluivert flicked the ball over his shoulder into the net, with Scholes adamant the Spaniard ducked out of a stronger challenge to claim the ball.
The United hero told BT Sport: “You never felt they were going to create enough chances to come back into the game.
“David De Gea here… he bottles it. He’s scared of getting himself hurt.
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“You should never go across your box like that. Harry Maguire is wooden and stiff and De Gea, as a goalkeeper you come out and make yourself as big as you can."
However, former Chelsea striker Cascarino told talkSPORT Scholes' criticism of De Gea was too harsh.
“Bottling it; that’s a strong word," Casc told Wednesday's talkSPORT Breakfast. “The ball falls in no man’s land.
"I mean look that’s pretty brutal. Adrian Durham said it to Jamie Carragher and they’re best mates now!
“Only David de Gea knows if he shirked that challenge.
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“I’ve been involved in football long enough and know that now and again there are some challenges where you think you’ll come out worse.
“If you’re a goalkeeper and you want a clean sheet and turn your back, that’s one thing you don’t do.
“In regards to bottling it, I think that’s a bit harsh.”
Cascarino also insisted Solskjaer’s biggest problem stems from United's full-backs, whom he accused of not performing at a high enough level.
“When you make decisions for your formation and the personnel you play, the manager is responsible for that,” he added.
“If you look at the wing backs at United, they’re paying poorly.
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“All the clubs who are struggling right now, their wing backs are playing poorly.
“Looking at Spurs, [Sergio] Reguilon and [Serge] Aurier are playing well. Chelsea’s full-backs have been extraordinary - [Ben] Chillwell and [Reece] James. It’s making a massive difference for them.”
“All the goals [United are conceding] are coming from the full-back areas and that’s where Ole’s problem lies.
"[Aaron] Wan-Bissaka isn’t playing as well as he should be. [Alex] Telles isn’t playing particularly well, neither is Shaw at the left side of the three."
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