Football

MANCHESTER UNITED need to make seven signings or risk relegation, according to Paul Scholes.The Red Devils have endured yet another torrid season with Ruben Amorim so far unable to transform their fortunes.Man Utd need seven new signings or face relegation says Paul ScholesCredit: ReutersScholes raised concerns over some players in the squadCredit: GettyFormer midfielder Scholes has been very critical of several players in the squad and believes United need a revamp to improve results.Scholes, 50, claims United need a whole new spine through their team and could need seven new faces in their squad.He told The Overlap Fan Debate: “There are a few things that are concerning. There’s a lot of stuff he (Ruben Amorim) needs to do, we all know that, especially in transfer windows, but I don’t see a core of players.”When you look at teams, you look right down the spine of a team. Liverpool: great goalkeeper, great centre half, forwards, midfielders, whatever. I don’t think United have any of that in any position.READ MORE ON MAN UTD”I think a new goalkeeper is needed, possibly two centre halves, two centre midfield players, and two centre forwards.”Alright, I’ll go for one centre midfielder and one centre forward, but with a bit of stature, a bit of quality, and really create a spine. When you’ve got that spine right, then you can add bits to it.”Scholes has also questioned whether certain stars are capable of playing in a Premier League-winning side.Even players who have performed well have been scrutinised by Scholes, who took aim at the United defence.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSAsked if he rates De Ligt, Scholes said: “Not really. Where are your ambitions? I’m talking about getting a team to win the Premier League.”Are you going to win the Premier League with De Ligt and Yoro as your centre-halves? Is “quite good” good enough for Manchester United?Roy Keane launches incredible blast at ‘shocking and boring’ Man Utd after woeful first half vs Leicester”Even when Lisandro Martinez is fit he’s not good enough to win the Premier League.”With De Ligt, his age and his amount of clubs does concern me. He seems to have got worse as he’s got older. Those clubs have got rid of him for a reason.”[Leny] Yoro is a young player but I haven’t liked what I’ve seen so far. Did you see the Southampton game? Look, he’s a young player and I would keep him in the squad.”Scholes has also expressed concerns over Kobbie Mainoo as he thinks he is lost and managers are unsure of what his best position is.He highlighted a problem with his athleticism, saying: “I think Mainoo is lost. I’ve talked about Declan Rice being lost before – I think Mainoo is lost as well. They don’t know what to do with him.”I don’t think he knows where to play on a football pitch because he’s been played in one of the number 10 positions, he has been played in the two in the midfield, which I can see probably doesn’t suit him because I don’t think the greatest athlete.”He’s a great footballer. I think the No 10 does suit, (but) the false nine, never in a million years.” More

JAMES COLLINS has revealed how he signed a contract with a Premier League club — only to rip it up 20 minutes later in a classy gesture.The Wales icon, 41, spent 14 of his 20 professional careers playing in England’s top flight for West Ham and Aston Villa.James Collins signed a deal with a Premier League club before ripping it up 20 minutes laterCredit: XThe incident occurred after Collins left West Ham in 2018Credit: Getty Images – GettyAfter starting in the lower divisions with Cardiff, Collins joined West Ham in 2005.He played 65 times for the Hammers before joining Villa in 2009.But after 108 games, Collins returned to West Ham in 2012 and became a stalwart in defence with 149 outings.He was released in 2018 after his contract expired.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnd that opened the door to a sensational return to Aston Villa.Dean Smith had just taken over as manager and offered a short-term deal to Collins, who had already been training at the club to maintain his fitness.Delighted with the outcome, the centre-back eagerly penned his documents before joining teammates for his first official training session.But after neglecting to warm up, Collins immediately suffered an injury as he popped his calf while sprinting.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSThe veteran knew it would keep him out for several months — nearly the same amount of time as his Villa deal.And in a heartwarming gesture, Collins went straight up to Smith before insisting his recently-penned contract be ripped up.Football icons’ strange hobbiesCollins had already spent time at Aston Villa earlier in his careerCredit: GettyIt saw Collins miss out on a dream return to Villa Park, with the defender eventually joining Ipswich before retiring at the end of the 2018/19 season.Collins told Peter Crouch’s podcast: “You’re only going up there to train. Dean Smith gets the job, JT goes in with him.“So I spoke to JT, he said ‘carry on coming up and we’ll have a look at you’. “I felt good doing a bit of training, they offered me a contract. It was going to be a two, three-month contract.“This is how mad it is as a footballer. I had to sign it on the Thursday to be on the bench for the Saturday.“I signed it Thursday about 10.20am. I’m signing it, stuff like that, so by the time I’ve signed and gone out for training, the boys have started their warm ups and they’re on the sprints.“So I thought me being old, I’ll go straight into the sprints. I did a sprint and popped my calf.I thought I can’t sign a four-month contract and be injured for two of themJames Collins“I’ve just signed this contract for Villa, so I went over to Dean Smith and JT and went, ‘boys I’ve just popped my calf’.“Because I’ve done my calf so much I knew it was quite bad. I went running quick and ripped the contract up because I knew I would only sign for three, four months.“I did love my time at Villa and they were really good to me. But I thought I can’t sign a four-month contract and be injured for two of them.“I was technically a Villa player. I went to Smith, ‘look, I can’t do that to you because I could be out for two months’. READ MORE SUN STORIES“I ran back in to the secretary and said, ‘have you sent that contract off yet?’ She went, ‘no’, so I went ‘we’re going to have to rip it up, I’ve just pulled my calf’.“I could have sat there, I knew my calves could have been two or three months, their contract wasn’t (long) so I said, ‘let’s rip it up, I can’t do that to you’. Then I went, got fit and ended up at Ipswich.”James Collins’ football careerCardiff, 2000-2005: 86 games, 6 goalsWest Ham, 2005-2009: 65 games, 2 goalsAston Villa, 2009-2012: 108 games, 6 goalsWest Ham, 2012-2018: 149 games, 7 goalsIpswich, 2018-2019: 6 games, 0 goalsWales, 2004-2016: 51 games, 3 goalsTrophies: League One play-offs, FAW Premier Cup (Cardiff) More