Scholes goes in hard as he tackles United’s underachievers

Much to the derision, one suspects, of Manchester United’s current crop of flops, Paul Scholes transposed his uncompromising style of play into punditry for the derby last night.

A rare foray into the television studio for one of United’s most cultured past midfielders couldn’t come at a worse time for his under-performing successors on another night of Old Trafford woe.

It didn’t need a 3-0 humbling from their neighbours for Scholes to dish out the verdicts. He was at it even before kick-off.

As well as slating David Moyes’ team selection — “I’m amazed Valencia isn’t playing, we’re nothing without pace on the wings” — the two biggest buys of the manager’s brief reign got it with both barrels.

“I expected more, to be honest,” he confessed in relation to misfiring Marouane Fellani, now 17 games without a goal since joining for €33 million.

“You pay that amount of money for a midfielder and you expect a few more goals.”

Juan Mata wasn’t spared stick either, albeit some of it attributable to Moyes.

“He (Mata) hasn’t hit the ground running as much as you would expect. From a £37m midfielder you want goals. In fairness, he has been played out of position a bit.”

Both recruits were on the mind of Scholes again during his half-time contribution — Mata for missing a sitter and Fellani upon escaping a red card for a blatant elbow.

“How did he get away with that, when the referee is just five yards away?” a baffled Scholes queried aloud.

Afterwards, he remained his consistent tone that United simply didn’t perform. “We couldn’t cope with City tonight,” said Scholes.

“I was never confident we could get back into the game, even at 1-0 down.”

Painfully for United’s wounded fans, the 39-year-old will only be seen back at Old Trafford for television duties. That will provoke nostalgia of past glories all the more, having witnessed Scholes’ old midfield partner Roy Keane rock up through this miserable campaign to fulfil the same role.