PAUL SCHOLES and Nicky Butt struggled to raise a smile as the Manchester United legends met up this morning.
The Class of ‘92 icons enjoyed countless successes under Sir Alex Ferguson back during their playing days for the club.
However, currently the Red Devils are a million miles away from those glory days.
Erik ten Hag’s side narrowly avoided disaster by beating Coventry on penalties to secure a showdown with Man City in the FA Cup Final last weekend.
The Dutchman won the Carabao Cup during his first term at the helm but this season he has failed to build on that.
They are seventh in the Premier League, 16 points off the top four, and speculation continues to mount over whether part owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe will stick with Ten Hag this summer.
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United have produced a series of underwhelming displays and embarrassments, including Champions League elimination at the group stage.
The pressure is still mounting on the Dutchman ahead of tonight’s Premier League clash at home to Sheffield United despite setting up that date at Wembley next month.
And it looked like Scholes and Butt, who both lifted the FA Cup three times with United, had little to laugh about as they were spotted having a catch-up in Cheshire earlier.
The 49-year-old Scholes, dressed in jeans and a dark top and coat, has made no secret about feeling that Ten Hag’s time at the club will soon be over while working as a pundit.
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And there was little on display on Sunday to suggest that he might have changed his mind.
Even though neither are officially still tied to United, they are both co-owners at League Two side Salford City along with fellow Red Devils icons Gary and Phil Neville, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs.
Butt is also the club’s chief executive officer – but they have had little to celebrate at Moor Lane this term either.
They have stuck down the lower reaches of the fourth tier for most of the campaign but Karl Robinson’s arrival as manager in January has resulted in them beating the drop back to non-league.
Meanwhile Roy Keane, who lined-up regularly alongside both Scholes and Butt in the 1990s and early 2000s, claimed United’s players looked “embarrassed” after the win over Coventry.
He said: “I think from the United players and the supporters they weren’t really going over the top with the celebrations.
“Because they know that they were quite lucky today. They had the game won at 3-0 and they are almost embarrassed to win in the end.”
Keane added: “Every time I see this United team I don’t like what I see.
Pundits verdict on Ten Hag’s future
Where do the pundits stand on Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United future
Jamie Carragher – Sacked
“I don’t see how Erik ten Hag stays. It’s just performance after performance.”
Gary Neville – Stay if he wins the FA Cup
“To sack a manager who’s won two trophies in his first two seasons at the club I think would be extreme.”
Louis Saha – On the fence
“I don’t see it as clearly but they need changes from the players but they need changes from him as well.”
Alan Shearer – Sacked
“I believe the future of the Man Utd manager is already determined. Even if they win the FA Cup I think he’s gone.”
“They’re hard to like and they just play in moments.
“We keep talking about leadership and characters – I don’t see any of that in this United group.
“The team management when you’re 3-0 up… you don’t give a Championship team any sort of hope that they can get back in the game.
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“But that’s what they do, they give up chances, they give up goals.
“We’ve seen it all season so I don’t know why we’re that surprised, but my goodness they rode their luck in the end.”
Victory his never been less glorious than this for Man Utd, says Dave Kidd
By Dave Kidd
PROBABLY only Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United could book a place in an FA Cup final while hanging their heads in shame.
Minutes after the final whistle of this ridiculous semi-final, Coventry’s magnificent underdogs were performing a lap of honour to their cheering fans — while most of United’s players and supporters had disappeared.
Then the Wembley PA system started blaring out ‘Glory, Glory Man United!’ and everybody started laughing out loud.
Victory has never been less glorious.
As a party-starter, it fell flat. As a stab at dark humour, it was sensational.
Even by United’s standards of low farce this was ridiculous.
Now even the unlikely scenario of a final victory over City is unlikely to save Ten Hag’s job.
After all, Louis van Gaal was axed days after United last won this competition in 2016 and his side were never as bad as this current lot.
Read Dave Kidd’s thoughts on the game in full here.
Or click here to check out all of Dave Kidd’s articles.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
