Paul Scholes’ article: I can see why Liverpool fans are booing Trent Alexander-Arnold, and there’s absolutely no reason for Manchester United to hold a parade for the Europa League.

Former England and Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes is set to provide exclusive insight and analysis for TNT Sports throughout the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign. In this week’s column, he delves into the reaction of Liverpool supporters towards Trent Alexander-Arnold and shares his thoughts on a potential Manchester United Europa League parade. Scholes also reflects on his memories of Goodison Park ahead of Everton’s final game at the ground against Southampton, which will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+ this Sunday.

Why I understand boos for Trent

I didn’t expect the booing directed at Trent Alexander-Arnold, but I think it’s hard to grasp what the fans are feeling unless you’re a Liverpool supporter or live in the area. I can understand their reaction to some extent because they view Liverpool as the best in the world – just as I believe Manchester United is the best. That perspective is something I can relate to.

As a fan, it’s natural to feel upset when a player leaves. I try to compare it to when Cristiano Ronaldo or David Beckham departed Old Trafford for Real Madrid. While it’s not a direct comparison – David wasn’t a local lad but joined United young, and his time under Sir Alex Ferguson had come to an end – the emotions are similar.

With Cristiano, it was always his dream to play for Madrid, even before he joined us, and we managed to keep him for an extra year. I wonder if it were myself, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs, or Nicky Butt in a similar situation, would there have been as much uproar? I’m not sure.

However, I think Trent deserves credit for how he has handled the situation. Perhaps the only misstep was announcing his decision before the season concluded. Many players today create a fuss to leave a club, but he hasn’t done that. He’s simply reached the end of his contract and wants something new.

Of course, that won’t sit well with Liverpool fans, but it’s his life, and he wants to play in Spain with his mate Jude Bellingham. I can understand why Liverpool fans might not be gracious about it, as they see their club as equal to Real Madrid.

Ruben Amorim needs 3–4 years to rebuild Man Utd ‘mess’

I believe Ruben Amorim was aware of the messy job awaiting him at Manchester United before he arrived. The biggest challenge will be offloading players he doesn’t want, especially given their long contracts and hefty wages.

In the meantime, he must start winning games in the Premier League. I can’t recall Mikel Arteta having a run of games like this during his rebuild at Arsenal when they were languishing around 15th or 16th in the league for an extended period.

It’s reasonable to give Amorim three or four years to implement a project and see it through. He has a lot of mess to clean up from previous mistakes, so he shouldn’t be judged too harshly in the short term.

I agree with Man Utd about potential parade

There’s absolutely no way they should hold a parade for winning the Europa League – it would be slightly embarrassing. The focus should be on the prize of Champions League football next season, which comes with a better budget and the chance to attract top players.

Winning any trophy is fantastic, but for Manchester United, the idea of a parade for the Europa League is simply a no-go.

Delap would be ‘great’ addition to Man Utd

United have been linked with Liam Delap, and I think he would be a great addition. However, he still needs one or two experienced strikers alongside him. We’ve seen the situation with Rasmus Hojlund, a young striker who hasn’t quite hit the ground running.

Delap could be another young striker joining a big club, and it’s hard to predict how he would fare given the current state of the club.

I always maintain that Manchester United should have three or four top strikers. Right now, they have one who hasn’t really delivered, so signing Delap would be a positive move, but he needs to be part of a stronger forward line.

My Goodison Park memories

Everton was always a challenging fixture for us. Playing at home against a David Moyes team, known for their organisation, was never easy. While we generally performed well at Goodison, we did suffer a few defeats there.

I enjoyed playing at Goodison because we often played well and secured victories. I had several chances to score there, but for some reason, I never managed to find the net. I don’t think I scored for the reserves there, let alone in a first-team match, which was a bit of a personal issue for me.

With Moyes’ teams, they could afford to be organised when playing away, but at home, they had to be more adventurous, which sometimes opened up spaces for us to exploit.

The crowd at Goodison is fantastic. They are knowledgeable, and one thing that always stands out is how they alert players when an opponent is closing in. The roar of “man on” or “turn” from the crowd is brilliant.

It’s a great place to play football, and while the old-fashioned stadium is starting to fade, its time is coming to an end. I’m sure Everton fans will feel sad about it, but they should also be excited about moving to a new venue.

Despite their recent troubles, Everton is a Premier League club through and through. With Moyes back at the helm, they should be fine in the coming years and aim to climb the table and challenge for trophies.

Goodison Park is a different atmosphere compared to Anfield, although both grounds are known for their loud crowds. I never felt animosity from Everton fans. With Liverpool supporters, there was always a sense of hostility because they despised us. Most teams had a dislike for us due to our success, but with Everton, there was a mutual respect, perhaps because both clubs share a rivalry with Liverpool.

At the end of the day, there’s always been a level of respect from fans at both Anfield and Goodison. Scousers are passionate about their clubs and give everything for those 90 minutes to disrupt your game, but there’s a sense of respect at the final whistle.