Paul Scholes reveals a Red Devils star ‘surprised’ him in the Liverpool draw

Former Man Utd midfielder Paul Scholes was impressed with Manuel Ugarte’s “quality on the ball” as the Red Devils drew 2-2 with Liverpool on Sunday.

The Red Devils are having a terrible season, but got an excellent point at Anfield at the weekend to move up a place The Premier League table to 13.

Manchester Utd took the lead after 52 minutes when Lisandro Martinez crashed a shot off the crossbar and into Alisson’s net before Cody Gakpo equalized seven minutes later with a superb run and shot.

Liverpool then took the lead through a Mohamed Salah penalty after Matthijs de Ligt handled the ball in the area, but Man Utd had the final say when Amad Diallo equalized ten minutes later.

Harry Maguire could have won it 30 seconds from the end but his shot crashed over the crossbar from inside the box as Ruben Amorim’s side took heart from a good point to their arch-rivals.

Ugarte, who signed from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer for £41m, was brilliant against a Liverpool midfield trio of Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones.

And Man Utd legend Scholes admits Ugarte’s performance after being recalled to the starting line-up at Anfield “surprised” him.

Scholes continued Premier League Productions: “Yes, he has to be and I think all of them (Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Kobbie Mainoo) are capable of playing with him.

“I think Mainoo would be the best once he is right when he plays and his fitness is better.

“Partnerships all over the pitch are important and you look at Manchester United, you don’t really see any partnerships, you don’t see connections between players, you don’t see a connection between a midfielder and a striker.

“Ugarte and one other are more than capable of playing for that team. And not only Ugarte for his legs… I think even his quality on the ball, it surprised me a little bit because I watched him a little bit at PSG.”

On Ugarte’s start as a Man Utd player, Scholes added: “He’s probably done better than I thought he would.

“He (Amorim) said before that Ugarte did well for him at Sporting Lisbon, as a really young player too, so he knows him.

“This kid is really growing in confidence. I thought he got into some good positions, he helped defensively, he helped offensively and I thought he had the composure to take the ball as well.

“Looks like it’s going to be him with someone else.”

MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
16 conclusions about Liverpool 2-2 Manchester United: Terrible TAA, frustrating Fernandes, silly Slot
Only four Ruben Amorim Man Utd flops come in Roy Hodgson’s disastrous 2010/11 Liverpool team
Roy Keane puts on an unmarketable mantle for Bruno Fernandes to end Man United’s misery

Scholes believes Man Utd showed the “blueprint” for future performances against Liverpool as they went “toe to toe” with the Premier League leaders.

The Man Utd legend continued: “It was a decent performance today. To go to Anfield and go toe to toe with the best team…

“They beat Manchester City, who have been the best team for four or five years, but that performance was nothing like this. This was better.

“I know they didn’t win the game like they did at City, but I take more from that performance than actually winning against the champions.

“I think now that’s the plan, that’s the way they’re going forward, that’s the standard.

“Now the manager should know his players. He has chopped and changed so much and this has to be (close to his strongest team).

“Who else can get into it? Luke Shaw, possibly if he’s fit. Leny Yoro at centre-half, Alejandro Garnacho, possibly, but I don’t think he’ll quite get into it.

“If the starting XI is fit then they have to play until the players perform badly and they don’t get into the team.

“That’s the standard they’ve set and they have to reach in the coming games. I don’t see any reason why they can’t do it.”