Paul Scholes confused by Noussair Mazraoui new Man United position against Fenerbahce

Erik ten Hag’s decision to start Noussair Mazraoui as a No.10 for Manchester United in their Europa League clash against Fenerbahce left Paul Scholes baffled.

With a number of injuries and suspensions plaguing his squad, Ten Hag was forced to make significant adjustments ahead of Thursday evening’s match.

Bruno Fernandes, a regular fixture in the attacking midfield role, was unavailable due to suspension.

In total, eight first-team players were absent from the 20-man travelling squad due to fitness concerns.

As a result, Ten Hag made the unexpected choice of deploying Mazraoui in the No.10 role, positioning him just behind Joshua Zirkzee, who replaced Rasmus Højlund up front.

Meanwhile, Christian Eriksen and Manuel Ugarte took on deeper roles in midfield, while Casemiro was dropped to the bench.

Addressing these surprising tactical changes in a pre-match interview with TNT Sports, Ten Hag explained his reasoning.

He said: “We have some injuries and a suspension with Bruno, so we had to be creative.

“Also, we had some players who have a short turnaround to West Ham, so we’ve made some changes there and a different set-up, but not so much different because we want to keep consistency.

“Eriksen there, Mainoo as the No.6 and we bring Mazraoui into the No.10 position.

“I know him from before, sometimes played him there for Ajax, also playing him as a full-back, and also in our system he’s playing in the half spaces, so he’s capable of doing this job.

“He can do good pressing.”

“We can see during the game what is needed, so we maybe go with him in another position and maybe if needed, he can play a more offensive position and it’s also possible to bring Casemiro in,” he added.

Despite Ten Hag’s reasoning, former United midfielder Paul Scholes was left utterly perplexed by the decision.

Renowned for his sharp tactical insights, Scholes found the explanation difficult to understand and questioned whether Noussair Mazraoui could effectively fulfill the demands of a No. 10 role, which is typically reserved for creative playmakers.

“I’m confused by it. I even think his explanation of it was confusing… I think Eriksen is perfect for that,” Scholes said in his analysis of Ten Hag’s comments.

“I hope Mazraoui understands better what he has to do than I do.

“I found it difficult to understand Ten Hag’s explanation.

“I don’t see him as a No.10.”

Read more: Noussair Mazraoui to play in new role for Manchester United against Fenerbahce

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