Manchester United did not give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the support he needed during the summer transfer window, says Paul Scholes, with it “quite clear” who the Norwegian wanted to snap up.
The Red Devils did see a late flurry of activity deliver a number of fresh faces to Old Trafford.
Edinson Cavani and Alex Telles were snapped up on deadline day, while talented teenager Facundo Pellistri was also acquired and a deal put in place with Atalanta for Amad Traore.
Value could be found in those agreements, along with that pushed through for Dutch midfielder Donny van de Beek, but United had been hoping for more.
Having ended the 2019-20 campaign on a positive note, the Red Devils were expected to be busy in the latest recruitment market, however, frustration was to become the overriding emotion in Manchester.
A protracted saga involving Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho delivered no end result, while calls for reinforcements to be made at centre-half fell on deaf ears.
Scholes admits that he had been hoping for better and believes Solskjaer will feel the same as a lack of activity contributes towards him facing more uncomfortable questions of his future.
“I don’t think he’s the first one who hasn’t been backed,” United legend Scholes told Stadium Astro.
“There’s been a lot of money spent but has it been spent on the first choices these managers want? I’m not too sure.
“I think [Louis] van Gaal and [Jose] Mourinho especially had a moan about that and it’s understandable when they aren’t getting the players they want.
“I think Ole’s been supported. I think Maguire at £80 million is a lot of money, [Bruno] Fernandes just in January has been an excellent signing and the form was good especially coming from Fernandes in January time you felt that this team was going places.”
Scholes added: “Towards the end of the season it’s a lot easier to win games, it’s a lot easier to go on a run when the pressure’s not really on.
“Okay, you can talk about pressure to get in the top four but that’s not the pressure United want, United want to be winning leagues.
“You felt at the end of last season he would have got more support in the transfer market to go on again to that next level but he’s not been given that.
“It’s quite clear the players he wanted have not come.”
United, who suffered a humbling 6-1 defeat to Tottenham in their last Premier League outing, will return to action on Saturday with a trip to Newcastle.