Youri Tielemans has made an encouraging start to life at Manchester United, but Paul Scholes has warned that the Belgian midfielder must find consistency if he is to become a success at Old Trafford.
The 29-year-old arrived from Aston Villa in July as the second major summer addition made by INEOS for Michael Carrick. Tielemans has already shown some promising signs during pre-season, including a positive link-up with Bruno Fernandes in midfield.
That early promise has led to plenty of excitement around the £35 million signing. Scholes, however, believes United will need to see the best version of Tielemans far more often than Villa or Leicester did.
Scholes questions Tielemans’ consistency
Speaking on The Good, The Bad, & The Football, Scholes admitted that Tielemans can produce performances at very different levels.
“I think Tielemans can be a 9/10 or a 2/10.”
The former United midfielder compared the Belgian’s tendency for inconsistent displays with his own playing career.
“I was a little bit like that. I could be a 2/10 or an 8/10. I think it’s just the way he plays. You see some games, if he should be playing in the best team in the world and other weeks…”
Scholes feels that kind of inconsistency could become a bigger problem at Manchester United. The standards are different, and Tielemans won’t have the same room for an off day when playing for a club expected to challenge at the highest level.
“Maybe at Villa you can get away with that, or his Leicester, the club where he was at. At Manchester United you’ve got to be performing four out of five games. You can’t afford to be two or three games out of five.”
It’s an important warning for Tielemans. His ability isn’t really in question but the challenge is producing it regularly.
Nicky Butt sees a potential bargain in Youri Tielemans
Former United midfielder Nicky Butt offered a far more optimistic assessment of the signing.
Butt believes Tielemans could even become the best addition of the summer, particularly when considering the fee United paid to bring him in.
“When you’re at a club like a Villa… no disrespect to Villa, who are a big football club, but they’re not expected to go and win the league, which Manchester United are every single year, whether you’ve got a good squad or not.”
That expectation could actually work in Tielemans’ favour, according to Butt. The Belgian now has to meet a higher standard every week, and that pressure could bring out another level in his game.
“I hope that will push him to the point of going, ‘Right, I’ve got to be on my toes every single game.’”
Butt also pointed to the financial side of the deal. United didn’t spend the kind of enormous fee that would instantly make Tielemans one of the club’s biggest financial commitments.
“I think for the value of money, it’s not like, if he was up at £70m, £80m, £90m, it’s a different answer. But, for the value of the money and the player you’re getting, if they get the right people around him, I think he’ll be the best signing.”
Tielemans has already given supporters reasons to be hopeful during pre-season. His performance against Paris Saint-Germain and his midfield relationship with Fernandes have provided early encouragement.
Carrick would be hoping his new recruit lives up to the expectations and shrugs off the inconsistency tag put by Paul Scholes.
