Former United star not convinced by new tactics.
SEE ALSO: All the Premier League done deals so far.
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has criticised Louis van Gaal’s use of a 3-5-2 formation for the club so far this season, in his column for the Independent.
The former England international is concerned by his old side’s defending so far this term, with van Gaal’s team falling to a shock 4-0 defeat at the hands of League One minnows MK Dons earlier this week.
United are also still without a win in the Premier League after an opening day defeat to Swansea City at Old Trafford and a 1-1 draw away to Sunderland in their second match.
Van Gaal is under big pressure to improve this United team after their struggles in David Moyes’ brief reign last season, which saw the club slump from first to seventh place in the Premier League table in the space of just a year.
Still, results have not gone the Dutchman’s way so far, and his 3-5-2 system is coming under increasing scrutiny as these unorthodox tactics look to be affecting the players on the pitch, who Scholes feels are used to playing in a flat back four after years of drilling in that system.
“Three men at the back doesn’t seem to be working for them yet,” Scholes said.
“At the moment United look like they are going to concede goals too often.
“I understand that Van Gaal is trying to make a lot of changes very quickly but the problem is the players don’t seem to have adapted comfortably to 3-5-2 yet.
“It is never easy to make a dramatic tactical change in a short space of time when you are dealing with players who have been drilled to play with a flat back four for many years.”
The 39-year-old also feels that the five-man midfield with wing-backs is not the best way to use new signing Angel Di Maria to his full potential.
“I don’t think Di Maria is going to play as a wing-back in a 3-5-2 system. I could see him playing wide in a 4-4-2 or a 4-4-1-1 formation,” he added.
Read more Manchester United FC news.
SEE ALSO: Angel di Maria in Manchester United’s most expensive ever XI.