Scholes 'scared' about United's immediate future

Former midfield star says team could be facing period in doldrums

Manchester United great Paul Scholes said he is scared about the club's future and believes it could spiral into decline in the same way rival Liverpool did in the 1990s.

Scholes, who played for United throughout his whole career and won 11 Premier League titles, says the club needs to sign five top players to arrest its current slump that saw it fail to qualify for the Champions League last season.

United finished seventh in the Premier League in May, having won the trophy the previous year, and began its latest campaign under new manager Louis van Gaal with a disappointing 2-1 home defeat to Swansea City on Saturday.

"I am scared for United. Genuinely scared they could go into the wilderness in the same way Liverpool did in the 1990s," Scholes said in the Independent newspaper on Thursday.

"What do they need? Five players. Five proper players who can hit the ground running and turn round a situation that looks desperate. Let me be clear: I am sick of having to criticize the club to which I gave my life as a footballer. But United need to arrest their decline."

The defeat by Swansea shredded the close-season optimism that had been circulating since former Netherlands boss van Gaal was chosen as the permanent replacement for David Moyes, who was sacked after just 10 months in the role.

With many pundits claiming United's squad needs a root-and-branch overhaul, the club has so far struggled to make a major splash in the transfer market this window.

While some of the world's best players have been linked with United, only leftback Luke Shaw, midfielder Ander Herrera and defender Marcos Rojo have been recruited to date.

United will get the chance to get points on the board when it plays Sunderland away on Sunday.

United completed the 20 million euro ($26.5 million) signing of Argentina World Cup defender Marcos Rojo from Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday with Old Trafford boss van Gaal hailing the 24-year-old as a "gifted" player.

Rojo signed a five-year contract after impressing during the World Cup where he helped Argentina to reach the final.

Winger Nani has gone in the other direction, rejoining Sporting on a season-long loan, seven years after he left the Portuguese club.

"It is such an honor to say that I now play for Manchester United. The Premier League is the most exciting league in the world and to have the chance to play in it for the world's biggest club is a dream for me," said Rojo.

"I am young and am very keen to continue to learn the game, so playing for such an experienced technical coach as Louis van Gaal is a fantastic opportunity for me. I have joined United to work hard with my teammates to win trophies and I know that the manager shares that ambition."

Rojo, who started his career with Estudiantes de la Plata, spent the past two seasons at Sporting having joined from Spartak Moscow in July 2012.

"Marcos is a very gifted defender. He has played at the highest level in world football and can play either as a central defender or leftback," said van Gaal.

Rojo has won 28 caps for Argentina and will bring much-needed versatility to United's backline.

(China Daily 08/22/2014 page23)