Paul Scholes believes Manchester United must match the standards set by Manchester City to reclaim the Premier League title, despite admitting he still has not seen pictures of Roberto Mancini’s players parading the trophy at the end of last season.
Scholes, who emerged from retirement last January to return to Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad, appeared to have provided the missing ingredient toManchester United’s faltering title bid with his comeback coinciding with a surge to the top of the table.
But despite helping United move eight points clear of Manchester Citywith six games left to play, Scholes was then part of the team which inexplicably lost the title by losing two and drawing one of the final six fixtures, enabling Mancini’s players to win the league on goal difference.
United are now faced with having to accept second-billing in Manchester, but Scholes, who signed a one-year contract in May, admits that, painful as it may be, City deserved to win the league last season and overhauling them is now the priority at Old Trafford.
“City definitely raised the bar and the football they played for most of the season was fantastic,” Scholes said.
“As much as I don’t want to admit it, they were good to watch and probably played the best football, so from that aspect, they were the best team and deserved to win the league.
“We know we have to do better than we did last year. We have to become a better team next time, but it’s always a motivating force when you lose the league.
“It’s not nice when you see another team celebrating on the last day of the season and that picture stays with you.
“I remember when Chelsea took the league off us in 2004 and won it back-to-back — it definitely goes with you into the next season. That picture is in your head and you don’t want it to happen again.
“But I have just seen little bits of them (City) celebrating when they scored and then when (Sergio) Agüero scored at the very end.
“I haven’t seen them lifting the trophy, but I am sure if I am watching the TV over the next few weeks it will be on and I will see it.
“But we failed at the end of last season. We should have won the league and didn’t.
“You would take being eight points clear with six games to go every year, but we have to look to next year and, if we are in the same position, finish the job.”
United have so far added just Japan midfielder Shinji Kagawa and Crewe teenager Nick Powell to their squad from last season, but Ferguson remains in the hunt for Arsenal’s Robin van Persie and Sao Paulo midfielder Lucas Moura.
Scholes’s decision to continue for another campaign, beyond his 38thbirthday, was confirmed in May, but he admits his initial return, during the FA Cup win at City in January, was a nerve-wracking experience.
“I did feel nervous when I first came back,” Scholes said. “When I first went back on the pitch I thought ‘what the Hell am I doing here? I could just be at home watching it’.
“The game against City was strange. I just wanted to ...
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