CUPSET Man Utd Class of 92 legends look glum as they meet up for coffee days after embarrassing FA Cup semi-final
Their other great footballing love has failed to provide joy this term
Posted Thursday, April 25, 2024 by Thesun.co.uk
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.
Man Utd legends Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes looked glum as they enjoyed a catch-up Credit: Zenpix
The two were team-mates for both Man Utd and England Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.”
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