Why Fergie has made a big mistake by failing to replace Paul Scholes

By Mark Lawrenson

Published 08:59 17/12/11

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Sir Alex Ferguson will be ­regretting not buying a replacement for Paul Scholes in the summer.

He went for young players and bought early which is fine, they will be great players. United’s problems is not the young players – although the young keeper David De Gea is a worry.

What has happened only served to inflate the value of what Paul Scholes was worth at his peak. They have found it very difficult to replace him no matter what combination.

Tom Cleverley has done well and is now injured, but in the latter stages of the Champions League? He wouldn’t have had the ball.

Man U would have taken Wesley Schneider but they made the decision that it was too much money, and they made that decision about Tevez and got it absolutely spot on and went and won the league.

They are just a little bit short this season. The keeper and centre- back situations ­exacerbate the problem. Losing Nemanja Vidic is a huge blow.

Will Fergie buy in January? Schneider and Scheinsteiger are still in the Champions’ League and are at massive clubs and would cost massive money.

Their problem is that quarter back position when you go short or long with the passing and seeing all the angles, the key man. Someone who passes to make other players play. That is what they are missing.

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