‘Life has been sucked out of the players’ – Paul Scholes exposes Man United alarm bells

Manchester United icon Paul Scholes has suggested that Ruben Amorim's current overemphasis on tactics has meant that "life has been sucked out of the players".

Despite the arrival of new head coach Amorim, United find themselves in an uncomfortable 13th position in the Premier League, having lost their last three league matches. Even though the team have shown promise in Europa League fixtures and knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup last month, it's clear there's unrest within the squad both on and off the field.

Scholes, who dedicated his entire professional career to the Red Devils making more than 700 appearances, has been scrutinising the team's demeanour ahead of games and hinted at what might be dampening their performances.

"Nowadays, with football being so tactical, I feel like the life has been sucked out of the players," Scholes candidly expressed during The Overlap Fan Debate brought to you by Sky Bet.

"When I was playing, I wanted to play with more freedom. I watch football all the time, but I don’t analyse the game as much anymore," he continued.

"I’ve been watching Manchester United the last few weeks, specifically how they’ve been warming up before matches, and I’ve noticed that they’re practising the team shape.

"They’ve got the back five defending the goal, with crosses coming into the box for the forwards to attack, and they’ve even started practising set-pieces in front of the fans, which just seems odd to me."

With Amorim at the helm, United have seen a tactical revolution since Erik ten Hag's days. The new Portuguese head coach favours a five-at-the-back system with dynamic wing-backs and an aggressive pressing strategy.

However, Scholes has expressed concerns that Amorim's pre-match routines may be