Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has played down Francis Uzoho’s performance against the Red Devils, in Thursday’s Europa League clash stating the Super Eagles goalkeeper only made routine saves.
United looked set for a night of frustration as Uzoho, who replaced Omonia Nicosia’s first choice Fabiano due to injury, produced a stunning display at Old Trafford.
Uzoho made an incredible 11 saves to deny the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Antony and Marcus Rashford as Omonia looked set to earn a point.
However, he was finally beaten in the dying seconds as substitute Scott McTominay secured a 1-0 win for United in the Europa League.
But it was 23-year-old Nigerian international Uzoho’s display that captured the headlines.
Despite Uzoho’s heroics, Scholes was less impressed, claiming Uzoho only made one important save.
Speaking on BT Sport, he said: “I actually do feel sorry for [Uzoho] a bit.
“Lets have it right, it was the right result. [United were] so dominant in both games really.
Also Read: ‘Playing In Old Trafford A Dream Come True’ —Uzoho
“Sloppiness in front of goal though, United have saved themselves some embarrassment there.
“The keeper didn’t make any saves you wouldn’t expect him to make. United’s finishing wasn’t quite there.
“The goalkeeper was good. I don’t think he made saves that were unbelievable. I think it was a mixture of poor finishing as well.
“He was lucky. He saved almost everything. He was great, don’t get me wrong, but he saved everything he should have saved.”
And following his statement, fans quickly took to Twitter to slam Scholes, with one saying: “Scholes going full on Roy Keane over goalkeepers.”
Another agreed, tweeting: “Scholes channelling his inner Roy Keane!”
A fellow supporter said: “Can’t just give a guy credit playing in the biggest game of his life he saved a lot tonight, better keepers would let one in under that pressure.”
And some United fans were even calling for Erik ten Hag to snap him up, with one writing: “Can we sign this Omonia keeper please?”
Another commented: “What a keeper. Sign him up.”
16 Comments
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to NIGERIAN GREATEST NO 7 ever AHMED MUSA
Splendid performance from Uzoho..Racist Scholes go get a life.!
Yes… He did not do anything special. Arun oju ni , kii se t’imu..Nothing there.
Just look at the way our U17 girls are missing chances upon chances.. is this how they want to win the cup.. this is one of the worst finishing play I have ever seen from any Nigerian team.. I love how they control the ball but bury it in the back of the net is a big problem.. they are 2 goals up anyway but it should have been More because the new Zealand team is very poor
Stupid English racist and jealousy ladden player scholes what is your problem? That’s how one idiot said rubish about Leon balogun yet he won the league and other laurels playing same as Joe aribo bunch of overhyped England fools
No reasonable individual would expect Scholes to be objective as long as the player he’s commenting on is not English. If Uzoho was English he would have said the exact opposite and how he deserves to be in one of the elite teams, but the fact he’s not English, he has no other choice but to downplay his performance.
This is the same man who claimed that Ten Haag has been unfair to Mcguire because he kept him on the bench due to his poor performances. Mcguire has been the weakest link in Man who for the last three seasons had constantly performed poorly and cost Manchester United games they should have won, for some odd reasons previous coaches failed to do something about it which meant Man U continued to underperforme. Ten Häag took a different approach, he diagnosed and fixed the problem which improved Man U but because Mcguire is English, it did not go down well with Scholes and was a good reason him to condemn Ten Häag instead of commending him for a job well done. No one should take him seriously, he’s not an honest pundit.
Ehen now, Scholes too has not said anything special.
Moving on.
Because Uzoho is not English.
Scholes, envy is written all over your face.
Jealousy runs in the vain of the English, that’s why Cafu and other Brazilian legends always give it to them wotowoto, English will never praise anything that is not English I’m telling you.
Yet Nigeria players with dual Nationality will not object playing for them
Oooooook now I understand honestly these English players are so so stupid
How will that look special when he’s not england goalkeeper… Ode oshi
Coming from a guy who couldn’t stay beyond 2 months as Oldham Athletic coach,he’s lucky arsene Wenger isn’t around otherwise he would have received the same reply Gary Neville recieved when he said that Wenger has nothing to offer at arsenal at the time and also branded their f.a cup win as a fluke.
Well, Uzoho did well but he can do much better than he has done against Man United.
Is in Uzoho but he have to prove that to nobody but himself. He can be one of the best in the world if he want to.
For me, if we have to get the best for Super Eagles as the goal keeping department it concerned, Oga Paseiro should create competitions among the three goalies.
We have Uzoho,Okoye and Adeleye while we have seen enough of Uzoho and Okoye while we haven’t seen the better side of Adeleye in the Super Eagles yet.
We still have good goalies in Nigeria and beyond. What the gaffer have to do is to be honest in his selection.
We still have Nwabali, the one that manned the post against Mexico and he’s still in Nigeria league. Ike Shorunmu can give him a chance as well. We have them kę.
The current gaffer should not rely on Okoye and Uzoho instead, he should ask the goal keeper trainer to search for more young goalies that are better than the ones we have at the moment.
This is where Oga Rohr and his followers brought us to and we have no choice but to put that behind us and start afresh.
For now, Super Eagles need a reliable goalie period. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
Ozoho is the best Nigeria has got today. He proved it today.